No Man's Land
by neverending-daydream
Summary: Olivia Cullen was adopted by Esme and Carlisle when she was five years old after her parents were murdered by a vampire. As the only human member of the Cullen clan, she's always felt inferior to her supernatural siblings. How will she react when Bella Swan enters the picture? And why have the La Push wolves suddenly taken an interest in her?
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello, everyone!**

**This is my first fanfic I'm posting on here. I'm very excited for what this will bring, hopefully you guys will enjoy it. Beforehand, I would like to acknowledge that I understand there may be some things that don't line up in the Twilight canon story-such as the likelihood of Jasper being near a human 24/7 and not going insane-but I hope that won't hinder anyone's enjoyment of the story I'm telling.**

**Anyway, thank you for checking this story out! On with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does.**

* * *

I was five years old when my parents were murdered by a vampire.

My memory of that day isn't very clear. I remember that it seemed like every other day in the city of Portland, Oregon. Nothing in particular stood out about it to me. That night, though, was when everything went wrong.

It was my parents' designated "date night" that night, so they'd hired a babysitter to look after me for a couple of hours while they wined and dined to keep their marriage alive. At first, everything seemed fine. But when more and more time passed with no sign of my parents showing back up, the babysitter became worried. Eventually she called the police, who had just arrived at the scene of the crime.

A brutal case of a mugging gone wrong, they said. Both their wallets were gone and the only way they were able to identify them was because my mother's license was separately in her purse. Extreme amounts of blood loss on both sides, wounds all over their bodies. To most people, this was just a very unsettling homicide. But to the Cullens-who had been living in a small town near Portland-it had all the telltale signs of a vampire in the area.

They quickly came to investigate and while tracking the vampire down, they met me.

It was purely a coincident that my guardian of the time, my great-great aunt Eloise, had been walking around with me by her side that day. Weeks after my parents murder and while I didn't completely understand what had happened, I'd come to accept that Mommy and Daddy weren't coming back. Silence overtook me more often than not as I constantly got lost in my own little mind. It was my method for coping, but my lack of chatter unsettled Eloise, who was very inexperienced with children.

We stopped so that Eloise could rest her aching legs and I could play on the playground in the park. Esme happened to be there that day after doing a bit of shopping to take her mind off of all the chaos of finding a rogue vampire in their area. She'd always been fond of children, Esme told me later on, and something about the way I was playing so solemnly caught her eye.

"She's quite the loner, isn't she?" Eloise had remarked to Esme.

Esme turned her head in surprise. "Is she your granddaughter?"

Eloise shook her head slowly, sighing. "No, she's my great-great niece. Poor girl, her parents passed away not very long ago and now she's stuck with me until they can find a better place for her to be."

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that," Esme had replied. "What happened to them?"

"Murdered by a mugger. It was sickening and so very very tragic."

As Eloise spoke, I had gotten up from where I was playing and strutted up to Esme, staring at her with wide, blue eyes.

"Hello," I had said to her.

Esme smiled that kind, motherly grin of hers and replied, "Hello, dear."

"You have very pretty hair. It looks like caramel."

And with those few words, Esme had told me years later, I'd somehow managed to capture her heart.

* * *

It didn't take as long as Esme had thought to convince the rest of her family that she should adopt me and add me as a new member of their family. A few days after arriving in Portland, the family finally cracked. Jasper had been the hardest to convince, as he was worried he might end up harming me, but Alice had assuaged his fears by telling him she'd seen visions of me grown up and an integral part of the Cullen clan.

So Esme and Carlisle spent months wading through legal paperwork and surprise visits from a social worker, but ultimately it paid off as I was legally the daughter of Esme and Carlisle in less than a year. The adoption process was a lot shorter than most, but Esme said my lack of other options coupled with the Cullens' persuasive skills helped move everything along a whole lot quicker.

Growing up as the odd one out in a family of vampires had been tough at first. I grappled a lot with why I was so different and how they all seemed so perfect and set impossible standards when it came to just about anything. For a few years I was kept in the dark about the whole vampire thing, but they confessed when they thought I was old enough to understand and know that this isn't something you can tell anyone.

Moving around was also something I had to get used to as we didn't stay in the same area for a very long time. My "siblings" cycled through high school over and over while I slowly grew up at a human pace. Everything I did seemed slow in comparison.

But as I got older-and waded through the hell that is puberty in a household without secrets-I grew closer to all of my siblings. Edward and I spent time together when things became very coupled up in the house. Days like Valentine's Day or anniversaries were spent with us bonding over our mutual inability to find a spouse. Jasper and Emmett were overprotective sometimes, but ultimately the biggest goofballs. They liked to play video games and help me practice for sporting team tryouts at school.

Alice and Rosalie gave me girl advice and were very helpful during puberty as they didn't make me feel like an alien whereas the males of the house didn't seem to know how to handle it. Rosalie took on a more mothering role than Alice, but I still thought of her as a wise, slightly intimidating older sister who will always be there for me. They helped me feel less awkward during my awkward middle school phase. They were also equally great.

Esme and Carlisle were most definitely the parents. While my other siblings may not think of them as parents, I definitely did. Even though I still have vague memories of my biological parents, Esme and Carlisle were the ones who raised me. They were at every recital, every game, every event. They gave me the talk (which let me tell you was the most awkward conversation I've ever had in my life), they helped me when I had my first crush and then when I experienced my first heartbreak. They were there through it all.

We were a family, no matter what. Everything that happened, we took in stride.

So after navigating the weirdness of a human family member, our family thought there was nothing that Forks could throw at us that could shock us.

Obviously, we were very wrong.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I'm posting this second chapter up so quickly after the first one as I thought the first one didn't really give you a good look into Olivia's personality or the general appeal of this story. Hopefully this will give a bit more pizzazz to the whole thing.**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Twilight; that is SM's domain.**

* * *

"Edward, hurry up or we're going to be late!" I yelled from downstairs, even though he could've heard me perfectly fine at a whisper. I hoped the increase in my volume would clue him in that I'm not amused by his antics or the sudden need for him to check the coif of his hair "one last time."

A slight breeze is the only inkling I get that Edward is behind me. It took years for me to get my senses used to living with vampires that abused their inhuman abilities on the regular. Example, Emmett's need to smash everything in our backyard, as if I didn't already known he could pummel a boulder with his pinky.

"What's got you in such a rush?" Edward teased me, his face only showing the barest hint of a smirk.

I rolled my eyes. "Not everyone can charm their first period teacher into excusing them every time they're late, Eddie dearest," I sneered, relishing in his wince over his nickname. "Now let's get going before I have to get detention from Mr. Mason-again."

The rest of our siblings are watching our bickering with amusement, waiting in their designated vehicles. Rosalie and Emmett were in his Jeep while Jasper, Alice, Edward, and I had opted for the Volvo, as per usual. The ride to school was too fast, as per usual for Edward's driving, but helped in making sure I was in my seat in English right before the bell rang.

This class was one of the few I had by myself and thus made it one of my least favorite. For one, I didn't really know anyone well enough to feel comfortable talking to them. And also, it was during this class that Jessica Stanley sat near me so I had to listen to her inane chatter. Today she was blathering on about a new girl arriving on campus today. Apparently it was making worldwide news in Forks as that's all anyone cared about. Who is this mysterious Isabella Swan? They asked each other.

Well they got their answer when the poor girl stumbled into Mason's class about fifteen minutes late. She blushed furiously at her less than graceful entrance and shakily handed Mr. Mason a note. The tall, balding man barely even glanced at it before giving her a ribbing about being late on her first day. Again, she blushed furiously and tried to force a chuckle, most likely wanting to just get the whole ordeal over with.

"You can go ahead and take a seat in the back next to Olivia," Mr. Mason grumbled, gesturing in my direction. Isabella kept her head down as she tried to somehow blend into the background with the entire class's eyes on her.

Throughout class, everyone continued to stare at her, making the poor girl blush perpetually. I could see Jessica practically chomping at the bit in order to snatch up Isabella's limelight before someone else did. I just ignored her, understanding that being new in the middle of the year is neither easy nor fun. Sometimes the best thing you can do is give someone some much needed space.

When the bell rang, I turned and gave Isabella what I hoped was a sympathetic smile before leaving the room. As I leave, I hear the beginnings of Jessica's introduction/attempt at brainwashing. _Good luck with that one, Swan_, I thought to myself.

My day continued on, uneventful. I learned things sometimes, other times I tortured Edward by mentally singing the lyrics to "Womanizer" by Britney Spears as loud as I could. By his clenched fists, I could tell it was working and he was not a fan of it during any round that I went through it.

And then came lunch.

It'd been a while since my siblings had gone hunting, so Jasper was in a bit of a nasty mood. After so many years of living together, he'd gotten desensitized to my scent, but unfortunately this did not apply to other humans. He seemed to be eyeing one girl near our table like he was a starving man and she was a nice big piece of meat. Edward kicked his chair, snapping him out of his thirst fueled daze, but it only made Jasper more upset.

I attempted to lighten the mood, knowing that Jessica was giving Bella the rundown of our family. "So, Edward, any scandalous information leaked yet? Has the Chief's daughter decided to go running for the hills?"

"It's all very uninteresting information," Edward quipped back. "I'm almost disappointed."

Rosalie huffed and rolled her eyes. "Could Jessica be anymore vapid? What does our relationship matter to her?" She snapped.

"Oh, babe, haven't your heard?" Emmett murmured, leaning close to his wife's face. "We're..._incestuous_!" He said this in the most scandalized voice possible, completing it with a horrified look I couldn't help but let out a loud laugh.

"I only wish Jessica had gotten more creative with her adjectives. The best she can come up with so far is 'like weird,'" Edward snarked in a high falsetto, eerily close to Jessica's actual voice.

Again, I laugh loudly and turn to look over my shoulder, only to lock eyes with Bella Swan. She blushes furiously and looks back down at her plate of food. Hmm...maybe Jessica's warnings haven't pushed her away quite yet.

Once we've calmed down and our lunch period starts to end, Rosalie stood up and said, "Well, shall we?" With that we all got up and exited the lunch room, heading towards our designated classes.

* * *

During Biology, we had assigned seating. My bio partner was Angela Webber, a sweet girl that I actually enjoyed talking to. We sat directly behind Edward, who had the coveted position of working by himself rather than with an assigned partner. It was probably for the best as I was far more social with other humans than he was. Poor Angela may have burst into tears if Edward had been her partner.

We sat in our customary seats, the class chatting away when Bella entered the room, Mike Newton eagerly leading the way and introducing her to the teacher. Anything to catch her attention, I suppose.

I heard Mr. Banner say to Bella, "You can take the seat next to Mr. Cullen," and immediately knew this wasn't going to go well. When you put two socially awkward people together they're a disaster waiting to happen. Bella turned and headed towards Edward, passing a fan on her way. As the fan blew her scent towards his face, Edward immediately stiffened and looked like he was close to attacking her. At least to me, that's how it looked. To others it looked like he was about to throw up.

Bella gingerly sat in her seat while Edward tried to get as far away from her as possible. Not very subtly, I might add. I watched the scene with utter horror, wondering what the hell it was about this girl that made him break his control so quickly. The entire class I barely paid attention as I was worried that at any moment Edward would snap and murder Bella. I tried to think about soothing thoughts, hoping to distract Edward and provide him with a mental oasis.

Clearly, my plan failed.

Not even a second after the bell rang Edward was out of his seat and heading out the door. Bella watched him go, confusion clear on her face. I almost felt bad for her, but ignored these thoughts in favor of finding my siblings.

I ran into Alice in the hallway and didn't have to say anything before she was dragging me into a secluded corner to ask me questions.

"Please tell me Edward did not kill Isabella Swan during your biology class," Alice whispered quickly, so quickly I almost didn't catch it.

I shook my head frantically. "No, but I don't know where he went. He looked like he was going to throw up the entire class, so no one thought anything of him bolting out the door. However, I'm sure Bella has a lot of questions. This is very bad, Alice. Edward has almost impeccable control."

Alice let out a tiny sigh. "Edward is trying to change his schedule and then he's going to go home. Don't worry about him, he'll be fine. A hunting trip is all he needs. As for Bella, well, we'll just have to hope that she assumes what most people assume."

"That we're all freaking weirdos?" I mumbled back, attempting to lighten the mood.

She smiled in reply and then left with Jasper, heading to her last class of the day. _Oh, god, I still have another class to get through_, I thought, letting out a weary sigh. Shoulders hunched and my head down, I made my way to my last class of the day, praying that the insanity of today would be gone soon.

* * *

After school was let out, we road home in Emmett's Jeep, the entire atmosphere of the car on edge. When we arrived home in record time, it was to the sound of Edward and Carlisle arguing. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but from the others' expressions it wasn't promising.

"I am doing this for the safety of our secret, for the safety of some poor girl I could've killed today!" Edward exclaimed as we came through the door. All of us exchanged a look before going into the living room.

"You are running away, Edward. You need to face this head on because going to Denali is a temporary solution," Carlisle replied calmly, the epitome of serenity.

Edward ran a frustrated hand through his hair, sighing while he paced back and forth. His eyes were ablaze with what I now recognized as panic. He didn't understand what he was feeling right now. He'd never felt a thirst as powerful as this.

"Are you going to Denali?" I asked incredulously.

My brother stopped. "Just for a little while, until my head's cleared of all this Isabella Swan nonsense. I am only doing right by our family by doing this, Olivia."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh please, you're going to pout on a mountain in Alaska. I hardly call that a sacrifice." I gave him a wide, sardonic smile. "Is your precious Tanya going to be there to help your wounded ego?"

"Tanya is not my anything and everyone knows that," Edward snapped. "What exactly is your issue with her anyway?"

I huffed and threw my light blond hair over my shoulder with as much sass as possible. "Maybe because all three of those sisters are super creepy and condescending. Also I'm about 90% sure that Tanya stole one of your shirts to add to her shrine to you."

"There is no shrine!"

"There could be! I wouldn't put it past them. I mean, Tanya's not exactly subtle when it comes to her interest in you," I snapped back, crossing my arms over my chest while I pouted like a disappointed child.

Edward sighed and sat down next to me on the sofa. "Look, I'm going to Denali to hunt and get away from Isabella Swan. It's not forever. I would be surprised if I'm gone longer than a week, to be perfectly honest. I will be back, Olivia, I promise."

I pulled him into an awkward, stiff hug. I knew he didn't enjoy close contact but I figured he would let me have this moment just for a second. I released him from my embrace and looked up into his dark eyes, saying, "I know you won't stay there forever. You wouldn't last longer than a week with Tanya's shrine so close to you."

He rolled his eyes and gently pushed me away. With those parting words and few goodbyes to the rest of our family, my brother headed off on his trip to Denali for the week, dealing with whatever built up man pain he had inside of him.

And I knew that meant my job as the essential go between of the regular world and our family was to do damage control over the whole situation. Starting by talking to dear Bella Swan.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello again! I've finally got the next couple of chapters planned out so hopefully some more consistent updates will be in your futures. Also I'd like to give a shoutout to MackennaHope, who reviewed for the last chapters. Your review was very motivating and sweet, I adored hearing from you! Hopefully I gave you a bit more of that Cullen action you were hankering for. Also, don't worry about Embry. He'll be making an appearance in the next couple of chapters.**

**Side note, if anyone would be interested in making a cover for this story, it would be greatly appreciated! (I picture Olivia as Cara Delevigne, BTW).**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Twilight is the property of Stephenie Meyer**

* * *

The next day I arrive in English far earlier than usual, quickly taking my seat in the back and trying to mull over everything that had occurred yesterday. First things first, Bella Swan was Edward's singer - his la tua cantante - and there was no way to prevent that. Honestly, it was a miracle he made it through an entire class period without killing her. Resisting that kind of temptation (the ultimate temptation, really) said a lot about Edward's control as a vampire. In any other situation, I would've praised him for it. The unfortunate truth was that eventually Edward would have to come back and what would happen when he did? I really didn't want to move again so soon, but I also knew that it didn't matter if that was what was best for Edward as well as for poor, defenseless Bella.

Speaking of her, the door open and Bella shuffled into the room, listening to Jessica chatter on about God only knows what. She nodded at the right times and kept her eyes down as she sat next to me. Jessica barely acknowledged my existence, instead choosing to continue talking Bella's ear off. They were an odd pair, that's for sure.

The bell rang and Mr. Mason quickly quieted down the class. "Today you will be receiving assigned partner for a collaborative essay about The Scarlet Letter. You will begin brainstorming today and spend the rest of the week ironing out the general lay out of your paper." He pulled out a clipboard and scratched the top of his shiny, hairless head as he called out each pair.

_Please,_ I thought to myself. _Anyone but her. I can't deal with this right now, I-_

"Cullen, you'll be with Swan for this assignment," Mason called out and I wanted to slam my head into my desk. Why does this always happen to me? What have I done to deserve this?

He told us to begin our discussion over paper topics and spend the class doing that. I turned towards her slowly and smiled in what I hoped was a somewhat friendly way.

"Hi," I said quietly.

"Hi," Bella replied, looking as uncomfortable as I was.

"Well, I'm Olivia Cullen, it's nice to meet you. I didn't get the chance to fight through your fanclub yesterday in order to introduce myself," I joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

Bella blushed furiously and let out an awkward chuckle, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Yeah...does that always happen when new people come here?"

"Well, my only experience is when my family and I moved here, but I always assumed that all the fanfare then was because of Edward's perpetual singleness and the misguided belief that he would ever leave his turtle shell to date a real girl," I murmured, unable to stop my eyes from flicking towards Jessica as I said it.

Bella seemed to understand and this time truly laughed. "Well, I'm sure he set them straight very quickly," she replied.

I laughed. "Oh you have no idea. I've never seen a boy filled with so much fear at the thought of women wanting to be near him. By the end of our first week, he'd pretty much made the record known that a nun would be more likely to pursue a romantic relationship than him."

She let out a loud guffaw, making a few heads turn in our direction. I quickly sobered my expression and gave them my best "fuck off" expression, as taught by my dear sister Rosalie. Everyone went back to their own discussions immediately.

We continued bantering like this for the majority of class, just barely picking a topic between witty barbs at the last second of class. I was surprised to find myself wishing I could talk to Bella more as we both went our separate ways. I guess the possibility of actually liking her had never occurred to me.

At lunch, I got a tray of food and sat down with my siblings, letting out a sigh as I did. Remembering that Edward was off in Alaska had a sobering effect on our table. Though most were in a better mood after hunting a bit last night, it hadn't done much for boosting team morale.

"I talked to Bella Swan today," I finally said, breaking into the awkward silence that was hanging over our group.

Everyone turned to give me a surprised look (minus Alice of course). "And?" Emmett prompted.

"She was...nice. I liked her," I admitted somewhat reluctantly. I could tell this was not the answer that they wanted.

Alice grinned. "I think you guys would make wonderful friends."

"No, no, no, we are not befriending some human," Rosalie hissed, eyes ablaze with fury. "Especially the human who drove Edward away and is in danger of causing him to expose us all."

I winced her here wording - "some human." I was just some human when they took me in and raised me. What made me any different than Bella? Just another pesky human, like a fly buzzing in your ear.

Keeping my eyes down, I murmured, "I'm human."

Rosalie's eyes widened, as if realizing the impact her words could have. "Honey, no, that's not what I meant. I just mean that befriending her and bringing that temptation into our household is not a good idea. Think of Edward."

As she spoke, she reached over and placed her hand on my back, rubbing it soothingly like she used to when I was small and would wake up screaming from nightmares. I understood what she was saying, but her anti-human mentality made me upset. This was the woman that had inspired me to be independent and not take any crap from anyone. I loved her so much, but at the same time I couldn't help feeling like an outsider looking in when it came to our family. How was I supposed to truly be a Cullen if I wasn't a vampire?

Not wanting to delve into my feelings of inadequacy, I gave her a smile and said, "I know, Rose. It's OK, I won't go befriending Bella Swan."

However, as days passed, I found this promise harder and harder to keep. Every day in English, I spent time getting to know Bella. The more we talked, the more I realized that if I could have a human friend I would want it to be her, difficulties aside. It made me feel guilty because I knew that the more I did get to know her, the worse I was making the entire situation. This girl is the one who could cause my own brother's demise and yet I still kept talking to her, kept making comments about hanging out in the future.

But my not-so-secret friendship with Bella had to be outed eventually I suppose.

* * *

Edward came home on a Sunday night in the middle of a rainstorm. He entered the house soaked through his clothes, but smiling like a maniac. He looked better, healthier and I ignored the discomfort of his wet clothes and stone-like body as I hugged him as tightly as I could.

"Don't do that again," I murmured. "Please don't leave me with this crazy people again. Emmett tried to make me play Call of Duty with him, Edward, it was horrible."

Edward chuckled and hugged me back, seeming to take comfort from me as well. "I'm glad you missed me because I couldn't keep Emmett occupied."

I let go of him and shrugged. "Well, you know, I must keep you around for some reason."

He rolled his eyes and we walked downstairs as he greeted everyone else. Esme squeezed him tightly, chastising him for not calling while he was gone.

"He was too busy brooding, Ma, don't you know phone calls can't fit into a brood schedule?" Emmett teased. He must've been in a good mood because most of them - minus myself - didn't refer to Esme and Carlisle as Mom and Dad unless they were feeling particularly ooey-gooey.

It was a beautiful moment and I thought maybe things were finally looking up for our dysfunctional family until we went to school the next day.

At first it was like every other day. Bella and I hung out in English, this time debating whether or not Dimmesdale's self-inflicted punishments redeemed him as a character in The Scarlet Letter. It seemed like a fairly good day. Then came Biology and I realized that Edward and Bella would have to face each other once again. Hopefully this time with less of a risk of any fatalities.

I entered the classroom with Edward, taking a seat next to Angela, and gave him an encouraging thumbs up. He gave me a crooked smile in return, as if to say "I've got this in the bag, Olivia."

Bella came in and looked almost comically shocked when she saw Edward sitting at her lab table. Normally I would've laughed if I hadn't been on the edge of my seat in anticipation. She quickly took a seat, avoiding eye contact with Edward and probably hoping to just ignore him instead of getting the kind of glares she got last time he was there.

Unfortunately for her, we were doing a collaborative lab today, which meant forced interaction. She looked like she'd rather undergo torture than experience any amount of social activity with Edward. I hoped some of the anecdotes I'd told her about Edward's social "anxiety" would make her be less leery of him, but clearly - as I watched her keep as far away as possible from him - my plan had failed.

I focused on my own lab with Angela and made small talk as we both quickly identified the different cell types and filled out the worksheet.

When I looked up, Edward and Bella were actually - prepare yourselves it's pretty surprising - _talking._ Imagine that! Possibly even a _civil_ conversation, judging by the way they were leaning into each other. My staring was not as stealthy as I thought, though, because Bella noticed my glances and turned to wave at me slightly.

I waved back, out of habit, then realized that Edward was looking at me as though I'd grown a second head. I blushed and quickly went back to the lab, pretending to be looking it over.

"Do you know my sister?" Edward asked Bella, his tone more confused than suspicious.

"Um, yeah. We have English together. We're...kind of friends, I guess? I mean, English class friends, at least," she murmured back awkwardly. I peaked up and saw that her expression implied something to the effect of "You'd know that if you'd been here".

Not long after the bell rang and class ended, everyone making their way to their next class. Edward quickly caught up with me as I sped out of the classroom, hoping to avoid any form of confrontation. Luckily, Edward let me be through our last class of the day, but as soon as the bell rang and we were heading over to our car, he cornered me.

"What are you doing, befriending Bella Swan?" He demanded.

I shrugged, avoiding meeting his eyes. "It's not a real friendship. We don't talk outside of English."

"But that doesn't mean you won't," Edward hissed back. "Of all the humans to befriend, Olivia, you've picked the worst. Did you not think what a friendship with her could do to me? To our entire family for that matter?"

I felt an icy rage course through my veins. "You think I don't know that? You think I don't berate myself every time I talk to her? I know, Edward. I know how hard this is for you and how I'm only making it worse, but is it so wrong to want a human friend, for once? Someone who doesn't perpetually make me feel like I'm lesser or-or a god damn nuisance? I am the weakest link in our family and I've accepted that, but feeling like an outsider in your own family is so hard. I just wanted to be friends with someone for once. I've never had a real friend in my life and I love you all, but it's freaking miserable."

Without even realizing it, tears started streaming down my face and I turned away, ashamed of all that I'd just said. I wiped them away with my sleeve. My face burned with the heat of a combination of embarrassment and fury.

Edward was quiet for a moment, pondering, before he finally just asked, "Why her, Olivia?"

I shook my head, letting out a humor less laugh. "I don't know, Edward. All I know is she's the first person who hasn't tried to get to you guys through me since we've moved here or gawked at me like I'm a freaking animal in a zoo. She's just different."

He dropped the topic and we got in the car. The rest of our siblings must have been riding home in Emmett's Jeep because Edward just drove away after we got in. The drive home is silent and filled with an aura of tension.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. This chapter is quite a bit longer than the others, which I hope is OK. I just wasn't sure how exactly to split all these events up into cohesive chapters that weren't only 500 words long. Also, I'm about 90% sure that the next chapter will be when we finally see some Olivia x Embry action, so look forward to that in the near future.  
**

**Thanks for reading and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

* * *

The next day greeted us with a mixture of snow and rain covering every inch of the ground. The parking lot at school was slick, making even walking difficult to do without possibly slipping. Many of the cars in the lot had chains on their tires and people weren't lingering around their cars, instead retreating inside. Edward and I were standing by our car, having a very one-sided argument, meaning he didn't speak and I mentally chewed him out.

Supposedly we were waiting on our siblings, who'd opted to take the Jeep today, but I knew the real reason we were out there. Edward wanted to wait for Bella, though the glares he kept sending me vehemently denied it. His eyes barely moved from where cars were entering the parking lot, his fists clenched by his side. His hair was dripping with water, but he didn't seem to notice anything but the steady stream of cars coming in.

Emmett's Jeep entered the lot and I sagged with relief. "They're here now, Edward," I teased, knowing that there was no way he was leaving yet. He shot me a narrow-eyed look, but kept silent. Suddenly the tension in his body released and when I heard the familiar sound of Bella's truck groaning as it pulled into a parking space, I let out a sigh. His obsession with her was hypocritical. So it was OK for him to gawk at her night and day, but if I try to talk to her I'm suddenly helping the enemy?

Bella slowly began gathering her stuff from her car, standing by her truck. She glanced up and saw Edward and I staring at her. She waved at me, smiling slightly, but her eyes locked on Edward as if she were in a trance. They maintained eye contact for longer than most people would before she blushed and glanced down. Our siblings exited their car and were giving Edward a questioning look when he continued gazing at Bella.

I sighed and turned to head inside, tired of watching his ridiculous display, when suddenly there was the sound of screeching and a collective amount of gasps. I whipped around and looked up just in time to see Tyler's van slam into the side of Bella's truck, Bella now out of sight. My heart started racing and I turned towards Edward, but he wasn't there anymore.

Like most people who witnessed the accident, I came rushing forward to check and see if Bella was alright. I pushed through the crowd of people and got close enough to where I could see Bella just sitting on the ground, staring at Edward, who had his hand on the side of Bella's car. My eyes widened as I realized what the hell my brother had just done.

He saved her. And by doing so, he exposed her to what he is.

Edward was vehemently denying any sort of medical attention when the EMTs arrived a few minutes later, instead insisting that Bella had hit her head and possibly had a concussion. Whether this was true or his way of deflecting attention, I had no idea. He went to sit in the front seat of the ambulance, but I grabbed his hand at the last moment.

"Give me your keys and I'll meet you there," I murmured quietly enough that only he could hear. Edward seemed hesitant to let me come, but ultimately forked over the Volvo keys before getting into the EMT's vehicle.

* * *

By the time I reached the hospital, Edward was standing in Carlisle's office, no doubt explaining what had happened. The hospital waiting room was filled to the brim with varying people who apparently just had to wait to see how the teenagers were. It was like the whole ordeal was a social gathering rather than a horrible accident.

I slid into the room, shutting the door behind me, and gave Carlisle a side hug. "Hey, Dad. Gotten the 411 from the Boy Wonder, I see?"

Edward gave me a hostile look. "Do not make light of this situation, Olivia."

"I'm not the one who had to go jumping in between vehicles to save the citizens of Forks, so don't get snippy with me Edward. You screwed up, not me," I snapped back.

Carlisle sighed, rubbing his brow as if to push away an oncoming headache. "Please, don't bicker. Why don't you go check up on Miss Swan before I go in to see her?" Clearly that was code for _get away before I murder you all_.

Huffing and crossing my arms over my chest, I walked with Edward down the hall towards the ER. Inside was a room lined with long beds, separated only by flimsy, opaque curtains. Bella was sitting on a bed next to Tyler, eyes closed while he seemed to be chattering on endlessly.

"Is she sleeping?" Edward asked Tyler when we reached him. At his words, Bella opened her eyes and gazed at us curiously.

"Edward, man, I'm so sorry. I-" Edward held up a hand, silencing him.

"No blood, no foul," he replied, grinning smugly at his own joke. I rolled my eyes and sat down in a chair next to Bella's bed.

"So, Swan, how does it feel after your brush with death?" I joked. "Any tips or tricks now that you're a pro?"

Bella chuckled and glared at the neck brace laying on the ground. "Never let them get one of those traps around your neck. It hurts more than any neck pain you could be experiencing."

Edward stood on the other side of Bella's bed, giving her an almost fond look. "What's the verdict on your condition thus far?"

"I'm fine, they just won't let me leave." She shot him a suspicious look. "Why aren't you strapped to a gurney like the rest of us poor souls?"

He gave her a smug look. "It's all about who you know, but don't worry. I've come to spring you."

"What am I, chopped liver? Obviously I am the bearer of freedom here," I chimed in. _How is this entire situation fair?_ I thought. _I'm an idiot and a traitor for even hanging out with her in a _class_ we have together but he flirts and teases and freaking exposes himself to her and that's no big deal? What the actual hell?_

Edward, having heard my thoughts, gave me a narrow eyed look, as if telling me to shut up my own thoughts. I stuck my tongue out in retaliation, being the mature and down to earth soul that I am.

Then Carlisle entered the room and Bella looked as though the air had just gotten knocked out of her. He tended to have that effect on people. "Well, Miss Swan, how are you feeling?" He asked, his expression open and friendly.

"I feel fine," Bella said, no doubt repeating herself for the hundredth time.

Carlisle began to check over her for any signs of injury or a concussion. "Tender?" He asked when he prodded her head. "Edward said you hit it pretty hard."

Bella shot Edward an exasperated look. "No, I'm totally fine."

"Well, you can go home now. Take some Tylenol for any pain and come back if you're feeling dizzy or having any trouble with your vision," Carlisle told her.

She sighed. "Can't I just go back to school?"

"I think it would be best if you took it easy today."

"Does he get to go back to school?" Bella asked, her tone as petulant as a five year-old's.

Edward just gave her the smuggest smile I've ever seen a man wear and replied, "Someone has to spread the good news of our survival."

"No need," I quipped. "Most of the school is in the waiting room right now, on the edge of their seats."

Bella leaned back against her pillow and let out a groan of embarrassment. "Oh, god."

"Do you want to stay here?" Carlisle asked disbelievingly.

She seemed to jump to attention at that and quickly got out of the bed, stumbling slightly and nearly falling on top of Carlisle as she did so. "No, no, I'm good."

"Well, all things considered, I'd say you're a very lucky girl, Bella Swan," Carlisle said, already planning on making his way over to Tyler.

Her eyes locked on Carlisle's face as she replied, "Yeah, I was just lucky Edward was there to pull me out of the way."

He gave her an awkward smile, suddenly fascinated by the paperwork in his hands. "Yes, I would say so. As for you, Tyler, I'm afraid you're going to have to stay with us a bit longer." His words effectively ended any interrogation plans that Bella had for him.

She turned to Edward and whispered very quietly, "I need to talk to you privately. Now."

Edward's entire body language shifted from loose and easy going to stiff and uncomfortable. His face was set in a hard frown as he followed her out into the hallway. I watched as she began to talk quickly, no doubt questioning how he got to her so fast and how he pushed a van out of the way. She gestured wildly, eyes never leaving his face. In contrast, Edward was very closed off and unmoving, replying to her rants in short, clipped replies. He seemed to be trying to effectively shut her down, but it only seemed to make her more upset.

Suddenly the conversation was over and Bella went storming off in the direction of the waiting room where her father was. I got up and went out to meet Edward in the hallway. He was frozen where she'd left him, his expression unreadable. Slowly, I placed a hand on his arm, snapping him out of his trance.

Pulling him down with me slightly, we sat down with our backs leaned against the wall and our legs tucked up against our chests, not really speaking at first. I tried to keep my thoughts as quiet as possible, giving him the space he needed. Whenever Edward got lost in his head, it was best to try to stay out of his way.

"You did the right thing," I murmured quietly after a few minutes. "It may result in unknown consequences, but ultimately you did the right thing. She could've died, but you saved her. And her blood would've sent not only you into a feeding frenzy, but any vampire with not enough control that was near." Unwittingly, I thought of poor Jasper, who struggled on a day-to-day basis.

Edward sighed, shrugging. "I wish I knew why my first instinct was to save her, not kill her."

I leaned my head on his shoulder, tucking my head into his neck. He laid his head on top of mine gently. Finally, I replied, "Only you would find it easier to deal with the need to kill than the need to save someone. You're so angsty, Edward."

We both smiled slightly and then stayed like that for a while, lost in our own thoughts until it was time to return to school.

* * *

Post van incident, the entire populace of the school was tuned into the Bella Swan channel 24/7. There was never a moment that I saw her not being questioned or bothered by another person, be it student or teacher. Everyone wanted to know about her miraculous survival and a play-by-play of her "near death experience". Normal girls would've relished in the attention, but it only seemed to piss her off.

Not to mention our entire family had gone under an agreed Bella avoidance. No talking, no looking, no breathing in her general direction. For the first week after I held strong and kept my distance. It wasn't that hard since the partner collaborations in English were done for now and we went back to individual stuff. Plus Jessica would've never given me a chance to say anything.

Week two was when I finally broke.

Jessica was blathering on about some rumor she'd heard about some unknown girl and Bella looked like she was debating suicide just to escape her. When the bell rang and English ended, some unknown force possessed me and I grabbed Bella's arm. She turned to glance at me in surprise.

"How would you like to escape the Bella fan club for one lunch period?" I asked her.

She gave me a look as if to say "Do you even have to ask?"

"Sit with me at lunch. We can hang and it'll keep the masses entertained as they wonder 'How did Olivia bribe Bella into eating lunch with her?'"

With that, I strutted out of the room and towards my next class. It wasn't until lunch started and I sat at a table by myself that I realized the repercussions of my decision. As soon as I thought of what was happening, Edward looked furious and whispered quickly and quietly, no doubt ranting about my idiocy to our siblings, who looked equally scandalized.

I just rolled my eyes and smiled when Bella sat across from me.

"Hey, how's it going?" I asked, smiling through a mouthful of pizza.

She shrugged. "Everyone's staring at me, making me feel like a zoo animal. The usual."

I laughed. "Jessica has no doubt begun the rumor that I'm blackmailing you into a friendship. I'm itching to hear what scandals I've caused by a mere lunch together."

"If she isn't too busy trying to retell her version of the van incident - again," Bella muttered.

"Well, Tyler certainly seems to have recovered," I pointed out, watching in horror as the boy in question used fries to do a demented walrus impression. At least, that's what I assumed he was going for.

She seemed hesitant to bring up the entire situation - no doubt worried I'd be as cryptic and confusing as Edward - so I quickly changed the subject to books and that got her going really quick. Lunch passed by more quickly than I thought it would and suddenly the bell rang and we were heading to Biology together. Like any other day, Edward was already seated and spent the entire period ignoring Bella, who seemed to be more and more put out by it with each passing day.

At the end of the day, Edward quickly dragged me to the car and drove our family home from school. As soon as we were home, he unleashed his fury.

"What are you trying to accomplish, exactly, by befriending her? I am trying to do damage control and every day you spend with her sets my progress even more!" He yelled. Our siblings retreated into the house, not wanting to experience another one of our blowout fights about Bella. It was like we were two children fighting over a shiny new toy.

I groaned and looked to the sky as if it would give me the strength to deal with another one of his lectures. "You do not get to tell me who I can and cannot be friends with. I don't invite her here, I don't bring her anywhere near you. Hell, I spend half our time badmouthing you which should only drive her away more. So don't get on your high horse and act like you confusing the crap out of her is some noble cause. You're just pissed because you have all these feelings now. You're like a freaking hormonal teenage girl, you have too many feelings and don't know where to put them!"

Not wanting to experience this any further, I stormed inside and marched upstairs to my room, slamming my bedroom door for added effect. I flopped down on the bed and curled up in a ball, trying to close my eyes and wish away all the rage flowing through me. I heard my bedroom door open and then felt a cold body lay down next to mine.

"You know, I used to think maybe you and Edward would end up together," Esme told me quietly. "It just seemed like the logical thing to happen. You evened out our family and you've always gravitated towards him the most."

I gagged at the thought. "Ugh, never in a million years, Mom. The thought literally makes me want to vomit; Edward hooking up with Rosalie makes more sense than that and they'd murder each other."

Esme laughed quietly. "I know, but at the time it seemed like the most convenient thing to happen. Then as you got older I realized that your bond would always be that of a brother and sister. You bicker constantly, but you've always been able to read each other well and know the other's limits."

I turned over to face her. Her golden eyes stared into my dark brown ones and I immediately felt at ease. Esme's presence generally had a calming effect on me. "That doesn't make him less annoying right now."

She smiled and stroked the side of my face lightly. "I know, but whenever you fight I just want you to remember that he's only concerned for your safety and our family's safety."

"Don't help me onto the road of forgiveness. I wanted to wallow!" I bemoaned loudly.

She sat up and got off the bed, looking like the epitome of a perfect housewife. "Wallowing time is over. Time for you to get started on your homework. Don't think I don't know you've been slacking in Trig lately."

I huffed and rolled my eyes. "Yes, Mom."

* * *

The rest of the month passed quicker than the last or so it seemed. I continued getting to know Bella, spending the occasional lunch period together, I could see what about her appealed to Edward's curiosity. She was an old soul, far more mature than most girls her age - including myself. Her mind wasn't captured by trivial things like dances or teenage boys. She enjoyed literature - the classics of course - and music. Really, they had more in common than I did with Edward.

Throughout all this time, Edward made sure to be as cold to her as possible. He sat on the farthest end of their lab table and kept his eyes straight ahead or down on the desk the entire time. He continued to make his disapproval of the entire situation known to me when we were at home, but I knew the real feelings behind all his hostility. He was jealous of me. He was jealous that I had the freedom to talk to her whenever I wanted without worrying that I would kill her or cause some sort of severe backlash.

Bella's suitors continuously pursued her throughout the entire month that she and Edward didn't speak. I suppose they took their distance as a sign to go for it. And all the attention came to a head in early March when the girls' choice dance was about to happen. Bella told me that Jessica planned on asking Mike, but asked for her permission before she did so.

One day in English, about two weeks before the dance, I noticed that Jessica wasn't as bright and bubbly as she normally would be. Whenever Bella wasn't looking, she would give her a look that was a combination of despair and resentment. No doubt Mike had made it known that he wanted a certain new girl to ask him to the dance.

When we got to Biology, Mike almost immediately cornered Bella, telling her that Jessica had asked him to the dance. He then proceeded to give the most awkward dance proposal I'd ever seen, fumbling and blushing.

"I'm not going to be in town that weekend," Bella informed him almost sternly. "I'll be in Seattle."

Mike slinked away with his tail between his legs, casting back the occasional desperate look in her direction. The entire conversation had Edward on the edge of his seat, staring openly at Bella. They stared at each other - which may seem romantic in movies, but in reality it's just creepy. Finally, Mr. Banner interrupted their moment by asking Edward a question and they broke eye contact for a moment.

Not long after, I looked up to see them having a heated conversation. Bella looked like she was at her wit's end, brow furrowed deeply as she waved her hands wildly and gesticulated frantically. Edward in turn was looking just about as frustrated and had his shoulders hunched down. He was wearing one of his typical "self-loathing" expressions that made me sigh loudly, startling Angela.

What a bunch of idiots.

The bell rang and Bella attempted to storm out of the room, failing when she tripped and dumped her books all over the floor. Edward was there in a flash, handing them to her in a neat pile, and she looked like thanking him was a new form of torture.

Our last period was gone in a flash and we were heading out to the Volvo. Just as we were about to head past Bella's truck, he stopped me. Bella was having what looked to be an uncomfortable conversation with Eric. _Oh, god,_ I thought, _awkward dance proposition part two?_

Edward chuckled at my thoughts, almost relishing in Bella's chagrin. I felt bad for the poor guy, but apparently Edward had only a minimal amount of empathy. We began walking again, passing by Bella as Edward failed to contain his mirth at her situation. I gave her a look as I passed and rolled my eyes at Edward's back even though I knew that he would know.

Suddenly, Edward seemed in a hurry to get out of his parking space and reversed quickly. I glanced behind us and realized he'd cut Bella off and was causing a line to form behind her.

I turned to look at him questioningly. "What exactly are you doing?"

"Just wait and watch," he replied, smirking.

A few seconds later I saw Tyler make his way to Bella's car and tapped on her window. "There is no way..." I murmured to myself. "Not _three_ times in one day."

My words did nothing for Edward's laughter and his shoulders shook as he laughed quietly. Obviously he thought Bella's embarrassment and awkwardness when it came to male attention was hilarious. He was like a little boy, pulling the pigtails of the girl he liked. Annoying her into noticing him.

Just as the painful rejection was over, our siblings made it to the Volvo and got in. I heard Bella rev her engine behind us, but we were already off and out of the parking lot. Edward was still laughing to himself for the majority of the drive home.

"What has him so amused?" Rosalie muttered darkly, not sure how to deal with a more jubilant Edward.

"He's a sadist," I replied. "Show him some social humiliation and he's giddier than a kid on Christmas day."

Alice let out a tinkling laugh, obviously in on the joke. The rest just kind of stared in confusion, but didn't bother trying to figure out what was going on.

We got home and everyone else headed inside, but I held Edward back for a moment. "We need to talk," I told him.

He sighed, as if sensing what I was about to say. "So talk."

"You can't keep playing with her like this, it's not fair, Edward. Either you're in and you want to get to know her or you keep your distance. Make a choice before I make one for you," I demanded before storming into the house.

I was tired of dealing with watching their idiotic decisions from the sidelines. A decision would be made and soon.

* * *

The next day at school, Edward made a beeline for Bella's car, which had just pulled into the lot.

"He's like a child with a new toy," Jasper murmured incredulously. "It's an obsession."

Alice smiled and shook her head, weaving her arm through his. "You'll understand in time, my dear, just wait." I shook my head. I understood he had feelings for her, but even I didn't totally get his need to be around her 24/7 and know every detail about Bella.

When Bella came into English, her expression was dazed and confused, as if she had no idea what was up or down anymore. She carefully slid into her seat and sighed, letting the tension slowly ease from her body.

"I hear you're going to Seattle in a couple weekends," I murmured. "Sounds like fun."

Her eyes snapped to mine and she shrugged. "I-I guess. Your brother - Edward - actually offered to drive with me up there. Something about conserving finite resources and that he'd been meaning to go anyway."

"Oh, OK. Cool."

_Say what?!_


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello, everyone. Sorry it's been so long! School and work and life in general got in the way of my writing and updating. Hopefully this chapter will satisfy the wait you've had to endure. Please leave me a review and let me know what you think!  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight; that would be Stephenie Meyer's domain.**

* * *

My day could not possibly get any more weird.

First of all, Edward - Mr. Stay Away from Humans Named Bella - offered to take her to Seattle the weekend of the dance. I could deal with that, the unresolved sexual tension between the two of them was obvious to anyone who bothered to glance their way. Secondly, Bella spent the entirety of English class acting as though she were off in dreamland, eyes misted over. Obviously she was daydreaming about a certain vampire, but she basically looked like she had hearts in her eyes! How do you go from such strong dislike to adoration in a matter of minutes?!

And now, to top off one of the weirdest days of my life - which is saying a lot considering I live with a coven of vampires as the only human - Edward is sitting at a table by himself and crooks his finger at Bella, giving her a sort of come hither look. I rolled my eyes and continued over to our family's usual table, all the while glaring daggers into the back of Edward's head.

_I hope you know what you're doing_, I thought at him viciously, but didn't get so much as a head tilt in response. _Fine, be that way._ I sat down, huffing exaggeratedly, but I wasn't the only one put off by the whole situation.

"He spent the past month angsting and whining only to turn around and woo her in the midst of a crowded cafeteria?" Rosalie muttered darkly, her dark eyes narrowed in on his bronze haired head. "Only Edward would make such a show over figuring out his feelings."

I chuckled. "I know right? Fickle, thy name is Edward."

Alice merely smiled serenely in a way only she could pull off. "It's going to work out in the end. I've seen it, though he is loathe to admit it."

Turning towards her, I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Really? You've seen her with our family?"

"Yes, she becomes one of us and she's happy with Edward. This is all supposed to happen," Alice told me, winking.

"But the future isn't set in stone," I argued back. "Things could change."

Jasper gave me a look as if to say "Don't set her off on a tangent," but it was too late.

"They are meant to be, Olivia!" Alice whispered hurriedly. "Every choice he makes, no matter how brief or counterproductive they may seem, doesn't change the ultimate end game in their futures: a life spent together for eternity. He wants to deny it, but he's not the one who gets these visions. He doesn't see how everything is leading up to this."

Her words struck a chord with me. Was the situation that serious? Right now, staring at their little bubble across the room, it seemed like mere puppy love. If Alice was right, then this was just the beginning. I liked Bella - hell, I might even consider her a friend - but the thought of letting someone new into our tightly knit family terrified me. My stomach clenched at the thought of not being the only human in on the secret anymore. What did that mean for our family? What did that mean for me?

I shook my head, pushing away the questions clouding my brain.

"Enough with the heavy," Emmett finally said, breaking the silence. "Who's ready for a camping trip this weekend? Because I think Jazzy going to lose our little hunting contest again."

Jasper and Emmett had an ongoing competition of who could hunt down the most game. As of right now Emmett was in the lead, but Jasper was pretty competitive when it came to battles with Emmett. His military training also came in handy for things like this.

Jasper smirked at him. "Lulling you into a false sense of security is just another of my many tactics to have you admit I am the better hunter."

"My guns tell another story, man," Emmett bragged, flashing his beefed up arms until Rosalie brought up a hand and smacked his arm down.

"Honestly, do you have no self-control at all?" Rosalie demanded, acting put upon and faking like she didn't find the situation as hilarious as the rest of us did.

Emmett grinned lecherously. "You weren't complaining the time I..." He leaned down beside her ear and whispered something in her ear I couldn't hear. Judging by Alice and Jasper's stricken expressions and Rosalie's bashful grin, I didn't want to know.

Luckily the bell rang, saving me from any awkwardness. I got up, telling them goodbye, before I turned and caught up with Bella, who was walking by herself. She was looking down at her feet, lost in thought, biting her lip to hide a dopey grin.

_Ugh, their adoration for each other is sickening,_ I thought and fought back a gag.

"Hey, Swan, long time no see," I told her, nudging my shoulder against hers.

Bella blushed. "Yeah, I know."

"My brother just can't get enough of your pretty little face," I cooed, sickeningly sweet. "We should hang out this weekend or something. Sans Edward."

Bella's face lit up as she thought of something. "Oh! I know, you should come to La Push with me and my friends. We're going Saturday."

I paused for a moment. La Push was strictly off limits for my family, but technically 1) I was human and 2) I never signed any treaty forbidding myself from entering the reservation. "OK. Sounds fun."

We walked together to Biology and Bella sighed when she sat down at an empty lab table. I assumed that Edward had told her that he was ditching at lunch as she didn't look totally crestfallen this time when she stared at his empty seat. OK, she still looked crestfallen, but there wasn't any kind of offense beneath the sadness. Mostly just longing.

"Today, class, we will be blood typing for the blood drive being held next week. In front of you is a kit and step by step guide on blood typing," said Mr. Banner. He continued on, demonstrating the proper technique to avoid any mishaps. I went along, minding my own business, when I looked up and saw how green Bella looked.

"Bella," I called. "Are you OK?" She turned back to look at me and I immediately knew that she was most definitely not OK. Her face was green and she looked seconds away from vomiting.

Mr. Banner rushed over, asking her quietly if she wanted to go to the nurse's office. She nodded, head down, afraid to even look around at the bleeding fingers of her classmates. "Will anyone be willing to escort Miss Swan to the nurse's office?"

Before I could speak up, Mike Newton was out of his seat and headed her way, slipping an arm around her shoulders to "lead" her to the office. She didn't fight him on the overfamiliarity, too sick to care.

I sighed as I watched them go, wondering if she'd make it there without any kind of mishaps. Suddenly, my phone went off and I glanced down to see a text from Alice.

_Edward's going to take her home. Don't worry - A_

I rolled my eyes. "Of course he does," I muttered under my breath.

"What?" Angela, my lab partner, asked me.

I turned and gave her a fake smile. "I was just wondering if you were going to La Push tomorrow with Bella?"

Angela smiled and nodded. "Yeah, are you?"

"Well, Bella invited me, but I don't want to intrude on your group's fun."

She gave me a reassuring smile. "Olivia, please come. The more the merrier, right?"

I chuckled. "I suppose so."

* * *

The next morning I spent by myself as my family had left for a hunting trip for the weekend without me. Despite the control many of them had around me, hunting too close to me was still risky. They'd left while I was sleeping and I'd woken to a hauntingly empty house.

Luckily, I was spending today with Bella at La Push, so at least I would be occupied. I'd decided that I wouldn't tell my family about our little outing, keeping my thoughts blocked out from Edward by singing the entire soundtrack of The Sound of Music over and over. He gave me a few weird looks, but chalked up my distance to not liking him spending time with Bella.

I didn't tell them because I knew what they'd say. "Olivia, it's too dangerous. What if you're in trouble and we can't come get you without raging an all out war with the wolves?" They were too overprotective for their own good.

After getting dressed, I headed over to Newton's Olympic Outfitters where everyone was meeting up and then riding together in one big van. I pulled into the mostly empty parking lot a little later than agreed and fought back a frown when all of Bella's friends stared me down while I parked and got out of my car. Putting on a friendly smile, I went up and hugged Bella before facing the group.

"Thanks for letting me tag along," I told them.

"No problem," Angela chirped, giving me a friendly smile. Everyone was pretty friendly, minus Lauren, who made some snide comment about them not getting a choice about my arrival, before we all loaded up together.

On the drive over to La Push, I ended up sat between Jessica and Angela. Jessica talked my ear off about surfing, which was what she planned on doing today.

"Do you surf?" She finally asked after a non-stop spiel on board types.

I shrugged. "I tried to learn once. My brother, Emmett, tried to teach me, but it became clear after just one day that surfing was not my forte."

"Oh, so is Emmett into sports and stuff?" Jessica practically demanded, eager for any information on our family.

"Yeah, he's wild about sports. Playing and watching them. Jasper likes it too, but he's not as much of a fangirl as Emmett," I joked, smiling at the thought of my scatter brained brother. "You should see him after one of his favorite teams lose. He basically goes into mourning."

They all laughed, including Mike, who piped up, "Hey, Liv, a man's team is serious business."

Liv, I thought to myself. I liked the sound of that. Even though I often viewed these people as outsiders to my world, I had a lot of fun hanging out with them on the way to the beach. They weren't that different, now that I was paying attention. Not so alien or mind meltingly mediocre.

When we arrived, everyone began to pull out our supplies. Coolers filled with drinks and food, chairs, surf gear, umbrellas in case of rain. It was like we were hunkering down in the event of an apocalypse.

Jessica, Mike, and Eric got dressed in wetsuits so they could go out surfing, even if the water looked way too rough. Bella, Angela, and I were sitting next to each other, snacking on Twizzlers, while Lauren was complaining to Tyler about how lame this whole thing was.

After a few minutes, Bella suddenly called out beside me, "Jacob!" She lifted her arm, waving to a group of three guys. All three were Quileute with dark, russet colored skin and long black hair. One of them - I assumed it was Jacob - waved back to Bella, smiling at her widely. He practically lit up at the sight of her.

I took another bite of Twizzler, smirking. Edward is not going to like that...

The three guys stopped in front of us, an easy-going presence about them. "Guys, this is Jacob Black," Bella introduced quickly. "Jacob, this is Angela, Lauren"- who scoffed and turned away from the three guys, turning her hooked nose in the air -"Tyler, and Olivia."

"Hey, nice to meet you," Jacob murmured, eyes locked on Bella. "These are my friends Quil and Embry."

The tallest of the three - Embry, I think - locked eyes with me and smiled widely, dimples appearing on his face. He was handsome, with a long straight nose and deep, dark eyes. No doubt he was skilled in the art of charming women, if he used his looks right.

Jacob and his friends sat with us. Somehow Embry ended up next to me, his smile almost blindingly bright.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," I replied, smirking.

"I'm Embry. Embry Call."

I smiled and held out a hand for him to shake. "Olivia Cullen."

He took it, shaking it firmly before lingering there a moment longer than most would. His skin was hot, surprising me. He wasn't affected by the cold at all. I slowly took my hand from his and joined in on Bella and Jacob's conversation, brushing off the weird moment between Embry and I.

Not long after the three guys arrived, those of our group that had been surfing returned, looking out of breath and soaked to the bone. They quickly wrapped up in towels while introductions were made (Mike and Eric did not looked pleased by Jacob's close presence to Bella), and Jessica came to sit in between Angela and I, clinging to us for warmth.

Lauren, apparently tired of good attention being directed towards Bella, spoke up snidely, "Well I'm glad you're here to keep Bella company since her date ditched her."

"Date?" Jacob asked, looking far too put out about it for just a friend.

Bella's face was flaming red, her eyes suddenly fascinated with the pebbles on the ground. "I just invited Edward to be nice, I thought he might want to come."

"It was nice of you," Angela told her consolingly.

"Cullen's freaking weird anyway," Mike muttered mutinously. "Sorry, Liv," he added when I gave him a narrow eyed look.

"My grandfather says that the Cullens don't come here ever," the third boy, Quil, murmured.

Bella raised an eyebrow, giving Jacob a quizzical look._ Oh no, her curiosity is peaked_, I thought. _There was no stopping her now._

"I'm going to explore the beach," she announced and then stood up, unwrapping herself from underneath her blankets before taking off down the beach. Jacob quickly got up and caught up with her. I decided to get up as well and stood, stretching.

I headed over to the water, grabbing a pebble and attempting to make it skip across the water. It failed spectacularly, the old jagged rock merely plunking loudly before sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

"You're doing it all wrong," a voice behind me said. I turned around and was surprised to see Embry grinning widely at me.

I raised an eyebrow and motioned towards the water. "By all means, show me the ways of rock skipping."

He made a big show of puffing up his chest - not that he needed to puff up when he was already so much taller than me - and perused the selection of pebbles at his feet. Finally, he held up his choice of rock high in the air before getting into careful position. When he tossed the rock - much to my dismay - it skipped four times in a row.

Embry turned to face me and bowed deeply, smirking all the while.

"Beginner's luck," I muttered, picking up another rock for me to throw. I positioned myself and tossed it, praying that I would get it to work this time.

And I was disappointed by the distinct sound of a rock loudly hitting and then sinking into the water. I didn't need to look at Embry to know he was grinning even wider than before.

"Not a word. Not one word," I hissed menacingly.

He shook his head, sighing (almost fondly) before approaching me. Scanning the ground, he picked up a smooth pebble and held it up to me. "Let me show you a thing or two, newbie," he told me. "First, you're choosing all the wrong rocks to throw."

"Oh, of course!" I exclaimed snidely. "My rock choices are absolutely deplorable."

"Second, smartypants, you aren't throwing it correctly. You want to lean down and toss it so it's lined up with the water." As he spoke, he leaned closer to me and placed a guiding hand on my wrist and the other between my shoulder blades. The heat of his body seared into my skin, pushing my mind into a haze. I barely realized what I was doing when I flicked the pebble across the water, causing it to bounce three times before sinking into the murky depths below.

"YES!" I yelled, caught up in the triumph of my accomplishment. I turned and, without thinking, threw my arms around Embry. "I AM A GODDESS!" I screamed in his ear, laughing all the while. When I pulled away, it registered how close I actually was to Embry. He was leaning down, so his face was tilted down at mine, our lips a few inches apart.

His breath fanned over my face and my eyes were boring into his. I felt like I was caught in a trance. My nose brushed his only slightly, causing us both to inhale deeply. Mind somewhere far away, I began to lean closer, wanting to chase this bizarre, blissful feeling. His scent - musky, dark, and altogether unique - filled my nose as we both leaned in -

Out of nowhere, I felt arms wrap around me and pull me away from Embry. Quickly I realized that Mike had staged some kind of surprise attack and had me flung over his shoulder.

"Mike!" I screamed at him. "You moron, what are you doing?!"

"Time for you to cool off, hot shot!" He yelled back, laughing maniacally. I could feel the ocean water slamming against his body as he ran into the ocean, heading even deeper.

"I swear to God, Mike, you better put me down right now!" I yowled, voice shrill with uncontrollable fear.

"As you wish, sweetheart," he tossed back all too happily and promptly dropped me in the ice cold sea.

I wasn't down for long, immediately pushing myself above water as I gasped in the air. The chill of the water made my lungs feel tight, like I wasn't actually breathing. I gulped in as much air as I could, trying to put out the fire in my chest.

My legs moved of their own accord and suddenly I was out of the murky depths of the sea and onto dry land. The wind whipped around me and I was shaking from the cold, feeling it in my bones. I made a futile attempt at getting warm by crossing my arms around me, but it didn't stave off the chill. Mike, Jessica, and Tyler were all standing together, laughing at my resemblance to a drowned cat. Their laughter only made me glare harder.

"What were you thinking?!" Embry shouted as he rushed to my side, wrapping an arm around me. He was a furnace so I didn't fight off the embrace, but I was surprised by the fervor of his worry.

"Dude, it was just a joke," Mike told him, looking confused. He held his hands up as if to say "I mean no harm", but Embry wasn't having it.

"It was a fucking stupid joke," Embry snapped back, rubbing my arms.

I intervened before things got too messy, placing a placating hand on Embry's shoulder. "Hey, look, I'm fine, OK? No harm done. Just some wet clothes and a permanent vendetta against Mike."

"Hey!"

Embry didn't look very convinced. "Are you sure you're OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. You're practically an oven anyway," I teased.

We headed back to the van together, Embry and I hanging back slightly. Most of our group was already back from their time exploring and had begun packing everything up.

I stopped a little bit away from the group and turned to Embry. "Well, it was nice meeting you, but I'd better get going so we can head out."

Embry caught my arm before I could leave him there. "When can I see you again?"

"What?"

"I...I want to see you again, if that's alright," he murmured quietly, not quite meeting my eyes at first. "I just feel this...pull towards you. I can't explain it, I just do."

"Embry," I told him softly. "We barely know each other."

"Tell me you don't feel it too. Feel this energy between us," he practically pleaded, puppy dog expression in place.

I sighed. "It's not that I don't, I just...this isn't normal."

"Who cares about normal?" Seeing my stubborn hesitation, he backed off slightly. "Look, you know where to find me. There's not exactly a lot of Embry Call's around here. Come find me if you change your mind, OK?"

I nodded mutely, giving him a tired, wane smile. The likelihood of that happening were slim to none, no matter what I felt. With a family made up of vampires, boyfriends were not in the picture. Not that I don't trust my family to be around humans, but ultimately I can never truly let someone in. The supernatural world would always be a barrier between us.

Not long after, Bella reappeared, looking like the gears in her mind were turning at full speed. She was lost in thought, merely humming in reply whenever anyone spoke to her. Whatever Jacob said, I could only hope it confused her more rather than give her any real answers.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Once again it seems that I am apologizing for being so lax in my updates. I'll save you some time from giving excuses and just say that I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, please keep it up as I love reading what you guys have to say about my fic!  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight; that would be Stephenie Meyer's domain.**

* * *

When my family arrived home from their hunting trip, I'd forgotten about the fact that I hadn't told them how I spent Saturday. So naturally I wasn't on my guard and let a thought slip by about how nice the trip had been, reflecting on my shock at enjoying the company. I realized my mistake when I noticed Edward - who had been watching a movie with me - was staring at me with wide eyes.

"Olivia," he started, dragging out the syllables of my name as he gave me a warning look. "Please tell me you did not spend Saturday at La Push with Bella and her friends."

His words had practically the entire household rushing into action, everyone crowding around as they regarded me with a variety of judging looks.

I cleared my throat, pausing the movie as I tried to come up with some sort of excuse. "Well, you see..."

"What were you thinking?" Edward burst out, jumping to his feet. "If any of the wolves had seen you there, it could've sparked an all out war."

I snorted. "Oh yeah, all three of those wolves would've taken out an entire coven of seven vampires?"

"Olivia," Carlisle said, sitting down beside me as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "I realize that looking back it may not seem that dangerous, but what if something had gone wrong?" He gazed at me beseechingly.

Shrugging off his hand, I rolled my eyes upward exaggeratedly. "Look, I understand that relations between us and the Quileutes is...civil at best-"

"Better word for it would be volatile. Bunch of mangy mutts," Emmett grunted underneath his breath, just loud enough for me to hear.

"However," I cut in, giving him a look, "I technically have no effect on the treaty. I never signed away my right to visit their land and I'm only a human, so I'm hardly any more threatening than other humans."

"The problem is not you, Livvy," Esme murmured, giving me one of those motherly looks of disappointment that made me cringe internally. It didn't help that she was guilting me with what she called me as a kid. "The problem is what your presence may have been taken as by the wolves. They're very new at this and unsure of what is a threat and what is not. In order for them to trust us, they have to learn that incidents like this - where one of us just shows up out of nowhere - aren't going to happen."

"Yes, Mom," I muttered mockingly, already knowing I was fighting a losing battle. They were right. My actions had been careless and selfish. All I thought about was what I wanted and not the repercussions they could have on my family. "I'm sorry. I realize that it was stupid, it won't happen again."

Esme stroked a hand over my hair, smiling warmly. "It's OK, honey."

Edward, apparently already over the entire conversation, sighed and headed for the door. "I'm going to check on Bella."

I faked a shiver. "Ew, I can see the headline now. 'Creepy vampire spies on innocent, underaged girl.'"

He merely glared in response and before I could even blink he was gone, no trace left behind. His separation anxiety was ridiculous - as if I would let anything bad happen to his dearest Bella while he was away. If for no other reason than because he'd eviscerate me in response.

The next morning it was bright and sunny, which meant that I would be arriving at school by myself. Though I technically could just skip out like my siblings, Carlisle and Esme genuinely wanted me to do well in school and so they encouraged me going anyway. Since these bright, warm days were fairly rare, it wasn't too off-putting to spend one day at school by myself. Honestly, I appreciated having space from Edward, who still hadn't forgiven me for the whole La Push incident.

When I arrived at school, students were lounging around outside, some of them sprawled out on the grass. _Enjoy the fifteen minutes of sun while it lasts, people_, I thought as I passed a group of people socializing at a picnic table. English class was relatively full already and I saw Bella and Jessica chatting with one another - well, Jessica was talking to Bella and she was nodding along in all the right places.

Jessica perked up as I made my way to my seat and sat down. "Hi, _Liv_!" She crowed a little too enthusiastically for my taste, but I smiled back anyway.

"Hey, Jess, how's it going?" I asked her politely. Her delight at me calling her by her nickname was overwhelming and my question sent her off into a rant about work and parents and the general chaos that surrounds a teenager's life. Like Bella, I nodded and hummed in all the right places, though I'd zoned out the second she opened her mouth.

As soon as the bell rang, Mr. Mason began a ranting lecture about The Scarlet Letter. I opted to zone out as the lecture began to take on very sexist undertones and I didn't feel like listening to the crap he was spouting out about male superiority. I glanced over at Bella and was surprised to meet eyes with her. She flushed and quickly faced forward again, trying to pretend like I hadn't caught her staring at me in the middle of class.

At first, I didn't think anything of it. Bella got lost in her own head a lot and it didn't really mean anything to find her staring at you because usually she was zoned out and not even aware of what she was doing. However, when class ended and I tried to speak to her, she was up and gone before I could say anything. Again, I tried to let it roll off of me.

It became more and more apparent that something was up with her. I would see her in the hallway and wave, only to get a deer-caught-in-headlights look followed by a swift retreat. What on earth was going on?

During lunch, I took the liberty of inviting myself to sit at her table. I approached them, wearing my friendliest expression and was relieved when everyone - minus Lauren of course - smiled back.

"Hey, guys," I greeted. "Mind if I sit with you today? My siblings are off on another one of their hiking adventures."

They all made various replies of "Have a seat" and so I ended up sandwiched between Jessica and Mike with Angela's friendly face opposite me.

"Why didn't you go hiking with them?" Jessica all but demanded as she picked at her salad. "I would kill for a chance to skip school and go hiking or camping."

I shrugged nonchalantly, picking at the questionable substance on my plate. "Eh, hiking isn't really my thing. Plus I am the least fit Cullen of the group and they get pissed when I slow them down. It's better for the entire household if I just hang back, you know what I mean?"

Lauren let out a loud scoff, though she kept her eyes firmly on her plate. I raised an eyebrow, but didn't form a reply as I figured it was another ploy for attention. Glancing down the table I noticed that Bella was once again steadfastly ignoring me. Obviously she was working over something deep in her mind. I thought back to the trip on Saturday and my stomach dropped with dread. What had Jacob told her that'd had such an effect?

"What about you, Olivia?" Jessica asked, startling me slightly.

"Sorry, I zoned out for a second. What are we talking about?" I murmured sheepishly.

She didn't seem fazed by inattention and repeated herself, "Are you going to the Sadie Hawkins dance?"

I cringed a little bit and shook my head. "No, I don't think so. Dances aren't really for me."

"Well, promise me you'll at least go to prom!" Jessica tried to argue, giving me the poutiest look I've ever seen on a person over the age of three.

"I can't make promises I won't keep," I told her.

Lauren seemed to think that now was the time to interject a bitchy remark. "It's probably for the best. I mean, who wants to be the only one at prom without a date?"

In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to punch her in the face, but I restrained myself, instead pasting on a tight smile and replying, "And you would know all about the pain of loneliness, right Lauren?"

She huffed, not having a snarky reply, and crossed her arms over her chest.

Jessica decided to jump in and cut off the tension before it escalated much more. "Well, you should at least come dress shopping with Angela, Bella, and I," Jessica offered. "It'll be loads of fun."

"I mean, I'm not even going, though..."

"Bella's not going either and she's still coming!" Seeing that I was still not convinced, she resorted to pleading. "You can still have fun with us, please please please come?!"

Though I could sense this was a disaster in the making, I agreed to go anyway. As if I needed another reason for my brother to flip out on me about the responsibilities of keeping their secret safe.

* * *

The next evening was the night that Jessica and the rest of her crew wanted to go dress shopping. So we all piled up into Angela's car and began our journey. When we arrived, Port Angeles was fairly quiet, a few people passing us here and there. Bella was friendlier this time, chatting with me a bit on the way and then when we sat down while Jessica and Angela began to hunt for dresses. The shop had a few other girls come in occasionally, but for the most part it was dead.

Bella had brought a book with her-a Jane Austen novel, no doubt-and had curled up in the window seat of the store. She barely looked up as Jessica and Angela began to scan the racks. I was commissioned to pull out any dresses in Jessica's size that would make her look "hotter than the sun." As we walked up and down the aisles, Jessica and Angela (mostly the former) began to ask Bella questions about her past.

"Have you ever been to a girls' choice dance before, Bella?" Jessica asked, only sounding mildly interested in the answer.

Bella glanced up, ripping herself away from her mental oasis, and shrugged. "Nope."

"What, no boyfriend you desperately wanted to take?" Jessica teased, wiggling her eyebrows. "I'm sure there had to be at least one guy you had a thing for back in Arizona."

Again, Bella gave a sheepish movement of her shoulders, shaking her head. "Not really. I've never found someone that interested me, let alone dated a guy before."

All three of us took our eyes off the racks to look at her with varying degrees of surprise. "Seriously?" I demanded before I could help it. Bella was certainly a pretty girl and while she may seem a bit closed off and awkward, she was a caring person beneath all of that. Surely someone in the past must've taken an interest.

"And no one in Forks interests you at all?" Jessica tried to appear nonchalant as she asked, but everyone knew she was concerned over Bella "stealing" Mike from her.

Bella blushed and shook her head almost vehemently. "None."

Angela attempted to move the conversation back to less awkward territory and exclaimed, "Well, at least we'll all get to go to prom together!"

"Right!" Jessica jumped in.

"What are you talking about?" Bella asked warily. "Who is 'we'?"

"The three of us, silly!" Jessica replied, before realizing that I was still there and added hurriedly, "And Olivia, if you decided to come as well."

Fat chance of that happening, I thought, but pasted on a fake smile for appearances' sake. "Of course."

"I'm not going to prom, though," Bella said, still looking extremely bemused.

"You're not?" Jessica practically accused. "But Tyler is telling everyone that he's taking you to prom!"

Bella's eyes bugged out of her head and she spluttered back, "I-I am not going to prom with Tyler."

I struggled not to laugh at the look of horror on Bella's face. It was as if she were being threatened with torture rather than going to prom with a boy. "You'd better let Tyler know that," I chimed in, not bothering to hide the grin on my face.

"He's probably doing it out of some sense of obligation after the accident," Bella muttered to herself, curling back around her little, worn novel. Somehow I found that hard to believe, but didn't burst her bubble.

Jessica and Angela began to try on dresses, dramatically modeling each one. When Jessica came out in a hideous, fluffy pink dress and began to serenade a blushing Bella to "I Want You to Want Me", I was in tears from laughing so hard. My sides ached and I felt happier than I had in a long time. A year ago, I couldn't have ever pictured myself having this much fun with anyone outside of my family. I'd always viewed humans as so very other-worldly that being around them, feeling normal for once in my life, made me feel equal parts elated and guilty. I wanted so badly to feel satisfied with my family, with the future I had of spending an eternity with them. Yet no matter how hard I tried I couldn't truly belong with them until I was a vampire too.

Eventually, after watching them try on dresses for too long, Bella became tired of waiting on them. She packed up her stuff and muttered something about going to a bookstore before meeting us at the restaurant before she was gone. I felt a pang of worry over her going out there by herself, but knew that ultimately Bella could protect herself.

Both girls found dresses they liked and we were done shopping not long after Bella had gone. We headed to the restaurant and waited outside for a little while, but Bella had yet to show up. Just as I was about to get worried, Alice called me.

"Just go inside and eat," was how she greeted me.

"Hello to you too," I snarked back, rolling my eyes.

"Don't worry about Bella, just go ahead and eat your dinner," Alice advised solemnly.

I hesitated, glancing over at Jessica and Angela, both of whom look quite concerned. "Are you sure?"

"100 percent," Alice vowed.

"OK," I sighed and then hung up. I faked a smile and told the two girls, "Sorry, that was my sister. Let's go ahead and get a table. I'm sure Bella will show up soon."

It was hard to keep up my positive front when two hours and a meal later and still no sign of her. Alice had promised it was fine, but the future wasn't set in stone. What if something horrible had happened to her?

Jessica and Angela began to talk about calling the police because it'd been so long. I had to agree with them, despite Alice's reassurances. No possible explanation for her disappearance had a positive outcome.

"Hey guys," a familiar voice called out down the street. We turned around to find Bella waving at us with - low and behold - Edward by her side. I could feel my anger building. _One **tiny** phone call would've been appreciated, brother dear_, I thought menacingly. _She could've been dead for all we knew!_

Though he gave no physical reaction, I knew my message had been received by the way his eyes met mine. Edward would not get away with keeping me in the dark like this.

"Bella!" Jessica burst out a little too dramatically. "We were _so_ worried." Her eyes never left Edward's form as she waved her arms about in a erratic motion.

"Where were you?" I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest. "We've been waiting for hours."

A dark rose color tinted Bella's cheeks as she stuttered back, "W-Well, you see. I was at the, uh, the bookstore and I just kind of - ran into Edward. We got to talking and...lost track of the time...?" She turned to gaze at my brother beseechingly, as if he could improve the lie. He remained stoically silent, a signature move of his.

"Oh, I'm sure. It's universally acknowledged that Edward is such a chatty Cathy," I bit back. "I'm just glad we managed to find you in time."

"Sorry you guys had to wait so long for dinner," Bella replied sheepishly.

"Well, don't be because we kind of already ate without you..." Angela muttered, chuckling awkwardly in hopes it would lighten the mood. "We were just about to head home, actually."

"Oh, well-" Bella began to move as though she was going to head back home with the three of us when Edward decided to finally speak up.

"If you ladies don't mind, I could take Bella home instead. She hasn't had anything to eat yet and I'm a bit famished myself," he said, kicking up the charm to the max. His tone was pleading and hopeful, face filled with more angst than usual.

"W-Well, of course. Food's...it's important," Jessica mumbled. Her eyes were wide and her face flushed, hand clutched over her heart no doubt to control its hummingbird beat. I fought back a roll of my eyes.

Bella didn't seemed to have been consulted on the matter, but went along with him anyway, nodding her head emphatically.

Angela smiled politely at them both and said, "Well, I guess we'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," Jessica stated, sending Bella a pointed look. They turned and headed back to where Angela's car was parked, unable to hold back their excited, twittering laughter.

I watched Bella and Edward head inside together, huddled close, once again perplexed by what the hell was happening around me. My brother may be over ninety year old, but he brings about drama with the distinct knack only a teenager can have.

* * *

We'd all met at Angela's house, so once we got back to her place, I immediately headed for my car, calling out a half-hearted goodbye. On the drive home, my thoughts were consumed with Edward and Bella. I still didn't understand their relationship at all. Clearly there was chemistry there or he wouldn't bother spending time with her, especially time outside of school. But what exactly did he intend to do about this bond between them? Change her? Unlikely, he'd always thought of our family's existence as more of a curse than a blessing.

I pulled into the driveway of our home, still pondering the plethora of questions floating around in my brain. I parked and was stepping out of the car with my bag in hand when I heard a movement behind the bushes. I froze, immediately on alert. If it was an unfamiliar force, surely my family would've come out to help me by now. Their lack of response was confusing, as there was no possible way they didn't know someone was here.

Turning my head slowly, I saw a figure moving towards me. It took a few moments before I realized that the figure was Embry Call, the boy from La Push. He was hardly recognizable. His long dark hair was now cropped short and he'd gotten even taller - a feat I thought nearly impossible. Thought it was too dark for me to really see much of anyting, I could make out the shape of his shoulders, which were hunched forward as if bracing for some kind of attack.

"Embry?" I whispered, squinting harder so I could see him better. "Is that you?"

"Olivia..." He called back, his voice shaking. "I don't know what's happening to me. I think I'm losing my mind."

It felt like my heard had stopped beating in my chest. "Embry, come here. I can't help you if you're so far away," I tried to sound as soothing as possible. He sounded like he was at a breaking point emotionally and I knew he needed only support right now.

I could hear him lumbering forward very slowly and when he finally stepped into the range of our porch lights, another wave of shock crashed over me. The first thing I noticed was the expression of pure fear on Embry's face. He had dark circles beneath his eyes, like he hadn't slept in days, and his cheeks were tear stained, red angry streaks running across them. The second thing I noticed was that Embry was completely, 100 percent naked.

Keeping my eyes firmly locked on his face rather than...down under, I asked quietly, "What happened to you?"

My question only seemed to cause him more torment as his face morphed into a horrified grimace. "I don't know! I kept feeling so, so angry all the time and I was always burning up and it felt like I was going to just explode with all this pent up tension and then suddenly I just - did!"

"You _exploded_?" I asked.

Embry shook his head from side to side, slowly. He rubbed his hands through his hair and over his face, letting out a long sigh. "It doesn't make sense - none of this makes any sense whatsoever. Sam Uley kept trying to tell me it was normal, but turning into a freaking animal is not normal-"

"Wait, wait, wait!" I cut in, waving my arms in front of me. He fell silent as the bits of information began to piece together in my head. Embry had phased - he was a werewolf like Sam Uley and his pack. It must've been fairly recent, judging by how unstable he seemed to be. This also meant that the best thing for him was to get him back over the boarder and to Sam. "Embry, I need you to listen to me very carefully, OK?"

He nodded in response, eyes locked on mine.

I dug through my purse quickly and pulled out a pen from the bottom, brandishing it with a flourish. I took his hand in mine and began to write. "Here's my phone number, you can call me if you need anything, but I think it's best if you go back to Sam. He's the only one who can really help you right now."

Embry didn't appear to be very convinced. I continued on, "You need to go back to La Push, it's late and people are probably looking for you." I paused and then added, "Some clothes might also be a good idea."

He glanced down at himself, as though he had forgotten about his clothing situation (or lack thereof). His once solemn expression broke into a small grin as he chuckled. "Clothes would most definitely be a good idea." His mirth quickly faded away, though, and my heart ached seeing him so sad. He whispered quietly, "I'm so scared, Olivia."

I nodded and reflexively held out my hand, stretching up to stroke his cheek. "I know. But everything will be easier once you go to Sam."

He nodded and stepped away from me, disappearing into the night as seamlessly as before. The entire encounter left me feeling hallow inside with an aching deep in my bones. I wanted to go after him, to tell him everything I knew (which I will grant wasn't much), but it wasn't my right to do that. No matter what pull I felt towards him, it didn't change the fact that we were on separate sides now. My family was made up of vampires and he was part of a pack created to kill vampires. Treaty or not, it just couldn't work.

I walked into my house and realized why no one had come out when Embry was prowling in the bushes - no one was home. Sighing, I set my bag and keys down in the hallway and made the long trek upstairs to my room, feeling more alone than ever.


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I hope you're enjoying the story thus far. Just a little side note, I realized recently that I got Bella's schedule a bit mixed up, so you'll have to bear with me as I alter the scenery for some of the scenes throughout the rest of Twilight. I'm sure for most of you this doesn't even matter, but I'm just setting the record straight.  
**

**Anyway, enjoy this smaller chapter and leave a review letting me know what you think! (I'm really loving all the feedback I'm getting.)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight; that would be Stephenie Meyer's domain.**

* * *

I was woken up at around 3:30 in the morning to the sound of shouting. Immediately my entire body was on alert and I threw back the covers, racing downstairs to find out what was going on. The adrenaline rushing through my veins prevented any logical reasoning about what to do, I just kept moving. I stormed into the living room to find my entire family in an all out brawl.

It seemed as though the entire house was divided down the middle. To one side stood Esme, Alice, and Edward, each with a mixture of excitement and guilt chiseled into their perfect features. On the other was Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett, looking enraged with the other group as they stood with their arms crossed and brows furrowed. And in between the two stood Carlisle - always the mediator, neutral to a fault.

My eyes widened at the scene and I was at a loss of what exactly to do. I opened and closed my mouth multiple times, watching as the yelling and arguing continued on and on. I have heard my family often accused of being as cold as ice, but none of them have seen them when the things and people they love are threatened. Their statuesque faces melt away under the heat and fire of their all too strong emotions.

"What the _hell_ is going on?" I screamed when I'd found my voice.

Silence followed my cry as everyone turned to stare at me, the epitome of dishevelment. My hair was standing up in every direction, one of my pajama pants was wadded up higher than the other, and my shirt was hanging off my shoulder. I looked like a survivor of a natural disaster - and maybe that's what was happening in my very living room. Hurricane Cullen had ravaged our household.

"Olivia, what are you doing out of bed?" Esme asked me gently. "You need your rest - you have school in the morning."

I smiled tightly, the corners of my mouth pinching, and replied, "Well, you see, Mom, I would be asleep right now. Enjoying lovely dreams about lovely things. But instead I was woken up by World War III commencing in my very living room!" By the end I was screaming again, rivaling even their supernaturally enhanced shouts.

Immediately, I saw the guilt wash over everyone in the room. I took in a few deep breaths, attempting to calm down since I knew they were now well and truly chided for their actions. A sea of serenity washed over me suddenly and I met eyes with Jasper, giving him a grateful nod.

"What on earth has you screaming at three in the morning?" I asked with less heat, my heart no longer pounding in my chest.

All eyes turned towards Edward, who cringed slightly underneath the accusing looks. "As you know, I took Bella home this evening from Port Angeles," he began. "When I found out that you were all going to Port Angeles together, I couldn't help but worry, so I decided to follow you there."

I nodded solemnly. "Of course, a logical decision," I murmured sarcastically, though Edward ignored me in favor of continuing.

"I kept my distance, listening through your minds to make sure Bella was fine. I lost track of your thoughts and realized that Bella had already left your group in favor of going to a bookstore alone. I immediately went after her, only to find her being ambushed by a group of...of vile men," Edward hissed out, shaking with rage as he thought of Bella's would-be attackers. His hand clenched into a fist, kept tightly at his side. I saw Jasper glance at Edward out of the corner of my eye and the tightness in Edward's body began to recede.

"I assume that you saved her and did _not_ kill the sleazy guys trying to rape her," I commented, urging him to finish his story.

He nodded. "In my rage, I was careless and mistakenly implied to her that I knew what her attackers had been thinking, which inevitably led Bella Swan into discovering what we really are."

I didn't know what to say to that. Obviously the screaming had resulted from two different sides on the story, with Carlisle remaining passive in his opinion on the matter. No doubt Alice and Esme were delighted, as they believed this meant that Bella could be the elusive "one" for Edward, while the rest of the family was horrified that their secret was held in the hands of a teenage girl, one of the most fickle creatures to ever exist.

Rosalie beat me to the punch before I could speak. "This is a disaster. We have spent decades - some of us centuries - hiding who we truly are and now it's all about to come crumbling down because you had the audacity, the _stupidity_ to fall in love with a fragile little human. What future can you possibly have together, Edward? You will not change her because you view it as damnation, but you cannot grow old with her. Will you be able watch your little _pet_ grow old and die while you remain frozen at 17?"

Her words clearly hit their mark as Edward completely froze, his face falling into an expression of true despair. No matter my opinion on my brother's love life, I couldn't stand seeing him so upset.

I moved closer, coming to place a comforting hand on Edward's arm. "Whatever your opinions are about Edward and Bella, it doesn't matter. She knows our secret, all we can do now is see how things play out," I told them. "And if Alice's visions are right, this should end very well."

Rosalie let out an exaggerated huff, throwing her arms up in the air. In a flash she was gone, no doubt running away to take her rage out on some innocent trees. Emmett glanced in the direction she'd gone, sighing sadly.

"I'd better go after her," he muttered. "I'm sorry for waking you up, Olivia."

I smiled. "It's OK. You can make it up to me when I beat you at Call of Duty later."

He grinned in reply and then he, too, was gone.

It was silent in the living room as the tension slowly ebbed away (no doubt from the assistance of Jasper). Finally Edward turned to Carlisle and asked almost beseechingly, "What do you think? Have I done the right thing?"

Carlisle pressed his lips into a thin line as he pondered how to speak his mind carefully. "I believe that Isabella Swan could be very good for you - I just can't guarantee that we will be good for her."

Edward nodded solemnly. "I understand." And without a word he left as well, no doubt to go watch Bella sleep like the obsessive stalker he really was.

"Well," I said a bit awkwardly, "I believe that is my cue to go get some more sleep before I must return to prison - I mean, school."

I turned to go back upstairs when Alice's call of "Olivia, wait!" stopped me. I returned to the living room and Alice motioned for me to sit with her on the couch. Her cool, blank expression worried me as, for a vampire, Alice tended to wear her heart on her sleeve. Jasper sat on her other side, no doubt to be an emotional bandaid should this conversation go to awry.

"Olivia, you know that I've told you since you were very young that I've always seen a future of you with us, as a vampire," Alice began.

My eyes involuntarily widened. "Yes..."

"As of late, your future has begun to worry me because it isn't very clear," she said quietly, taking my hand in her ice cold one.

"What do you mean?" I asked, bemused. "I don't understand."

"I don't truly understand, myself," Alice confessed. "All I know is now when I try to see you, it's very fuzzy and muddied, if I can even get an image at all."

My heart began to race, tears flooding my vision. What was she trying to say? Did this mean that I was going to die? That I wasn't in their future anymore because I didn't have future for much longer?

Alice felt my panic and quickly grasped my face between her hands. "Do not misunderstand me, Olivia. Just because I can't always see you doesn't mean you're not there. The fact I am getting any images - however unclear they may be - is a good sign."

Jasper worked his magic and my heart rate slowed back to normal.

"I-I don't know what to say," I muttered almost to myself, eyes downcast. "How long has this been going on?"

"The first visions to go bad happened a few weeks ago," Alice replied, trying her best to console me as she petted my hair. "I know this seems impossible, but try not to worry about it too much. You know that Jasper and I would never let anything happen to you or your future. We'll figure this out, OK?"

I put on a brave face and nodded my head. That seemed to appease her and then she had me go back to bed, where I spent the rest of the night tossing and turning. Though I knew there was nothing anyone could do, I kept going over what Alice had told me in my head. Over and over, I mouthed the words to myself, as if one more time would help me magically figure out the answers.

Morning came and I was still awake, finding myself with only more questions rather than any answers. Sighing, I got up and faced yet another dreary day at Forks High School.


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: I won't be able to update any time in the near future as I will be spending most of July in Germany and won't have time to update during my travels. And then as soon as I get back I have to start working constantly so it will be challenging to keep up with this story then as well. Thank you for being so patient as I know it can be infuriating to have such a sporadic amount of updates!**

**Also thank you so much for all the lovely reviews you've been leaving. I love hearing what you have to say and I appreciate that you're taking the time to leave one. Thank you, thank you, thank you!**

**Enjoy the chapter and leave a review letting me know how you felt about it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight; that would be Stephenie Meyer's domain.**

* * *

That morning my siblings and I were left to our own devices because Edward decided to give Bella a ride to school that morning. I couldn't help but wonder if Bella knew that he was giving her a ride. Everything about their relationship seemed very spur-of-the-moment.

We arrived at school just before Edward, though I knew immediately when he did. Normally when our family arrived, all eyes were on us. No matter how long we could live here, I honestly believe that they would still stare at us. After a moment, though, the attention of the students was captured by something - or rather _someone_ \- else.

I turned around and saw Edward dramatically pull into the lot, getting out of his car and coming to open Bella's door. When she got out, he proceeded to sling his arm around her shoulder casually, no doubt reveling in the chaos he was creating. Bella did not look as pleased about their audience and muttered something I didn't hear, which made Edward chuckle and pull her a bit closer before he whispered a snarky reply in her ear, smug grin firmly in place.

He passed our entire family without so much as a glance in our direction, though Bella and I made eye contact for a brief moment. I couldn't prevent my suspicion from leaking into my gaze as I watched the two of them together with narrowed eyes.

_Today will certainly be interesting_, I thought as I headed to English. By the time I sat in my seat, Jessica already had Bella cornered, demanding to hear all about her evening with Edward.

"Are you guys, like, dating?" Jessica finally demanded, her enthusiasm just too much to contain.

"I guess so," Bella murmured noncommittally.

"Well...do you like him?" Jessica asked slowly as thought Bella were too slow to comprehend otherwise.

Bella's face turned a brilliant shade of crimson as she stuttered back, "Y-Yes...I like him." She paused for a moment and let out an almost imperceptible sigh, brushing a stray strand out of her face. "Too much, really. More than he likes me."

Before Jessica could demand more details, the teacher called on them, effectively ending the interrogation. At least for now.

Her answer to Jessica's question surprised me. To me, my brother's fixation on Bella was evident to anyone with eyes. I mean, he stalked her in Port Angeles because there was the slightest of chances that she might get into trouble. Though I would grant that Bella seemed to attract more trouble than most. It also seemed to me that Bella had barely any sense of self-confidence. I could imagine how impossible their relationship seemed to her if you were weighing their compatibility upon looks alone. Vampires were so inhumanly beautiful that no other creature on earth could compare.

The bell rang out shrilly and I quickly got up and gathered my things as I moved on to my next class. Bella and Jessica walked together while I lagged behind them, lost in my own thoughts. I was so out of it that I almost missed Edward standing outside the classroom door. I opened my mouth to say something when he turned and began to walk Bella to her next class.

I tried to shrug off the rejection I felt and headed to my next class, forcing myself to be content with the situation. Edward was finally allowing himself the chance to be happy, I told myself. That was more important than anything else. And so when Edward entered the class we shared, I gave him a bright smile and tried to throw myself into my school work, avoiding how the situation really made me feel.

Between every class we had, Edward would be gone in a flash, off to walk Bella around to each of her classes like some sort of gentleman caller during the early 20th century. Every time he returned, there was a slight smile on his face that never seemed to fade. He would zone out, no doubt spying on Bella through her classmates' thoughts, and seem so content in the little bubble he'd built for the two of them.

When lunch came, I was unsurprised when Edward unceremoniously headed in the direction of an empty table. I'm sure that he planned on spending as much time alone with Bella as possible. Still, the knowledge of his happiness and newfound romance didn't make the tight feeling in my chest go away. Edward has been and always will be my brother and my best friend. You would think that seeing him this happy would thereby make me happy, but instead I was left feeling so very alone.

My other siblings seemed equally disenchanted with the couple when they finally sat down together, huddled close around their private table. Rosalie eyed them with contempt, while my brothers looked more wary than anything else. Alice was the only one trying to bring up group morale.

"I am telling you that this is what's best for Edward," Alice told a murderous looking Rosalie. "And what's best for Edward is what's best for us."

Rosalie ripped her eyes from the couple to glare at Alice. "Your visions change all the time. Forgive me if I don't trust them with the future of my entire family." She paused and flipped her perfectly styled hair over one shoulder. "People change over time, Alice. The person Bella is now and the person she will be in the future - near or far - are completely different. And most of all teenage girls are fickle. She can't be trusted."

I cringed at her words, but smartly kept my mouth shut. Rosalie wasn't in the mood to hear any argument. One word and I'd be given the verbal lashing of a lifetime.

Alice seemed unfazed by the criticism and simply replied, "You just need to have some faith."

Emmett stepped in before Rosalie got worked up again and whispered something in her ear that made her huff and fall back against her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. The fight seemed to seep out of her quickly as Emmett wrapped an arm around her and placed a quick kiss to her temple. He always knew exactly how to talk Rosalie down from a fight, a super power in and of itself.

"What are they talking about?" I finally asked, unable to fight the feeling inside me that's dying to know.

Alice paused from where she was picking at her salad, focusing in. "They're talking about their plans for the weekend. Edward wants to take Bella out that day since it will be sunny, to show her what we look like."

I snorted. "You look like little princess tiaras."

Emmett pouted exaggeratedly. "I resent that! What if I wanted to be a diamond bracelet? Or a bedazzled phone case? Not everyone has to be a princess's crown!"

I rolled my eyes. "Excuse me, Emmett. You can be jewelry from Tiffany's, if you'd like."

"That's more like it!" He exclaimed with his nose stuck high in the air.

My siblings rolled their eyes at Emmett's dramatic behavior, but didn't get the chance to comment on it before the bell rang. I sighed and got up, dreading Biology. I'd have to spend the entire class with the newlyweds right in front of me.

I got to class before Edward and Bella did, but as soon as they entered together, the entire class went dead silent for a moment before erupting in hasty whispers. Edward and Bella had been seen as something of enemies before then, barely acknowledging each other's existence. Now they gave off a very different vibe that had the entire school buzzing.

I glanced behind me and saw Mike Newton glaring daggers into the back of Edward's head. No doubt he was upset over Cullen making a move on "his girl." _As if he had a chance before_, I thought to myself, remembering all the times Bella would brush off or barely even notice his attentions.

The rest of the school day was equally boring and monotonous as Edward was still spying on Bella through other people's thoughts. He began chuckling at one point and muttered something about Mike Newton that I didn't quite catch, but I don't think I was meant to hear it anyway.

School let out and I headed to our car, keeping my head down to ward away the sprinkling rain. My siblings were already packed up and waiting for me. We got home in record time and I immediately told them as well as Esme that I was going to go drive around for a while on my own.

Sometimes when life with vampires became a bit too much I would go off on my own to get some space. The solitude helped me clear my head without worrying that Edward was spying on me and reporting back to the others.

I grabbed a set of car keys and drove away, heading to one of the only coffee shops in Forks. It wasn't a very popular place, so there was no inane, buzzing chatter to interfere with my thought process. I brought my sketchbook and doodled away while sipping on a cup of coffee.

As I drew, I couldn't stop my thoughts from going to Bella Swan. Her relationship with Edward was...confusing for me. My family was normally so distant with humans that having another human in on the secret troubled me. Not to mention how easily she seemed to be taking it all, becoming immersed in our world without so much as batting an eye. It felt almost unfair how easily Bella Swan was entering our lives.

It took years for all of my family to fully accept me. During the early years, Jasper and Edward advocated that I be sent to live with a human family. I know they believed it was in my best interest, but learning about it later on never really dulled the sting of being unwanted. Esme had always stood by her decision to take me in, as well as Rosalie, but they'd both always wanted to raise a child of their own.

Now that I was older, did they feel like I'd outgrown them? Was the appeal beginning to lessen? Did they ask themselves why I was even still part of their family? I'd never truly fit in with them and now they'd found the perfect human to complete their family - a mate for Edward to even it all up. And that left me as the odd one out. Yes, my parents had always talked to me about the possibility of being changed, but nothing was said for sure.

Maybe Bella would be taking my place as she could fill our family in ways I never will. I could never love Edward in the way she does. I could never make Esme's eyes shine the way hers did when she talked about Edward and Bella being together forever. And if I wasn't truly part of their family - their coven - then why was I still around?

"Are you OK? I think I can see smoke coming out of your ears from concentrating so hard," a voice said from beside me. I blinked a couple times, startled by the interruption, and looked up to find Embry's smiling face staring down at me.

I couldn't help but smile when I saw him so happy. "Hi, Embry. How are you?" I asked. I waved for him to take a seat across from me, which he did. The barista behind the counter eyed the two of us suspiciously, but went back to work when she saw me staring back at her.

"I've been alright. How about you?" Embry replied.

I shrugged and took another sip of my nearly finished coffee. "Good, I guess."

There was an awkward pause as Embry seemed to internally wrestle with something before finally blurting out, "Thank you for your help! The other night, I mean."

My cheeks heated as I remembered our last meeting rather vividly, seeing as only one of us had been clothed at the time. "Uh, of course." I paused and suddenly became suspicious. "You worked things out with Sam, then?"

If he had talked to Sam and accepted his situation, that meant that he probably knew all about my family and what they are. And I knew exactly how the wolves felt about my family's species.

His eyes darkened slightly, his bright demeanor vanishing completely. "Yes Olivia, I talked to Sam and we're good now. I've accepted what I am. " He stopped for a moment to think over how to phrase what he said next. "But we need to talk about the Cullens."

My heart dropped and my mouth tightened into a thin line. "Whatever you have to say, I don't want to hear it."

"Olivia, you're not safe there," he hissed, trying to keep his voice down so the two other customers in the room didn't hear us. "They are bloodsuckers, leeches that will suck the life out of you and-"

I stood up suddenly, grabbing all my stuff quickly. "If you came here just to insult my family, I'm going to just go."

"Wait, no!" he called out, reaching out and latching onto my wrist. I tried to shake off his grip, but he was much stronger than me. "Please, stay. I promise I won't lecture you."

Eyes narrowed, I slowly sat back down, ignoring the stares of those around us. "Fine. Why are you here, then?"

Embry sighed and gave me a look. "Is it so hard to believe that I came here to see you? I am technically breaking pack rules right now just to see you."

"As flattering as that is, I still am not getting the why part," I said.

"I am here because I wanted to see you. I care about you, Olivia, crazy as that may seem, and knowing you spend every waking moment with a much of bloodsuckers is terrifying. I'm constantly convinced that one day I'll find out that you were eaten or turned into one of them," Embry burst out, waving his arms around dramatically.

I raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that calling my family 'bloodsuckers' or implying that they don't have enough control to avoid killing or changing me violates your promise to be nice."

He huffed and fell back against his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. "I can't help it! I'm genetically inclined to dislike them."

"Yet somehow I'm supposed to believe that you like me? _OK_," I snapped sarcastically. "What does that make _me_, Embry, for caring about a bunch of leeches, as you so kindly called them?"

"You're just...Olivia," Embry replied, dumbfounded. "You're beautiful and smart and kind and..." He trailed off, lost in thought.

I blushed under his praise, but tried to stick to my guns. "Can we please not talk about them anymore? In case you haven't noticed, I came here to avoid my family for a while. Tell me all about your werewolfiness instead."

Embry seemed tempted to comment, but instead replied, "I'm not technically a werewolf. Yes I turn into a wolf, but the moon has nothing to do with it. I'm a shapeshifter, if you want to label my awesome skills." Though he tried to pretend that everything was great, I could tell that his transformation was still terrifying.

"You've certainly changed your tune," I commented. "It's barely been a full day and you're already cool with it."

He let the bravado of excitement fall away and then I saw how tired and scared he truly felt. It was then I noticed the bags underneath his eyes and the way his shoulder seemed to hunch down instinctively, as if bracing himself in case he suddenly transformed out of nowhere.

"OK, truth is, this shit is terrifying. I'm not even really supposed to be around you; Sam says that it's too dangerous for us to be around others right after shifting. But after all the stuff he told me about your family, I couldn't wait to see you. What if something went horribly wrong and I wasn't there to help you?" Embry demanded quietly, eyes downcast. He twiddled his thumbs nervously. "That's why I hate this stupid treaty. I can't see you as often because of it."

I was surprised by how dedicated he seemed to me. I knew that I'd helped him out during a dark time, but this was a bit much for that. Yet his concern didn't make me glare and hiss out that I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Instead I felt touched by his worries. His protectiveness made me feel special and wanted. It made the dark thoughts in my head go away.

I reached out across the table and placed one of my hands into his. He quickly met my eyes and his stiff demeanor melted away. His warm hands enveloped mine and suddenly the rest of the world and its problems began to melt away. For a few moments, everything was at peace.

Then my cell phone rang.

I sighed and let go of Embry's hands, reaching through my bag to pull it out. "Hello?"

"Olivia, where are you?" Esme asked sternly.

"I'm at a coffee shop right now," I answered, meeting eyes with a once again tense looking Embry. "What's up?"

"It's getting a bit late and dinner will be served soon, so I think you'd better head home soon," Esme replied.

I sighed quietly. "OK, Mom. I'll see you when I get home in like ten minutes."

We exchanged goodbyes and I hung up, meeting eyes with a very tense Embry.

"You have to go now." His words came out more like an accusation than anything else.

"Yeah, my mother wants me home for dinner soon," I said, grimacing slightly at the awkwardness of this entire conversation.

He let out a long sigh and took my hand again. "Please don't go back there. I'll go crazy knowing you're with...them," he spat out.

I tried not to bristle at his treatment of my family and be as kind as possible. "Look, they're my family. I will always go back to them. You have to accept that and understand that I've been living with them for almost 12 years. I am perfectly safe in their hands, I promise."

He didn't seemed very convinced, if his death grip on my hand was anything to go by.

"If you're not busy tomorrow," I began as I gently pulled my hand away and stood up, "we could meet up here at the same time and hang out while you reassure yourself of how very safe I am."

Embry's face lit up at the idea of meeting up again. "Of course I will."

"What about Sam? I'm sure he wouldn't like you running over the border again," I couldn't help but point out.

"I'd fight off a million Sams if it meant I could see you again," Embry replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. I didn't question him and let Embry walk me out of the shop and to my car.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I told him. "Try not to worry about me too much, Lassie," I quipped.

Embry let out a frustrated groan. "Ugh, not the dog jokes. Anything but that."

I laughed and, without thinking, hugged him tightly. He wrapped his long arms around me and squeezed. I felt safe in his arms, like it was where I was meant to be. But even thinking that weirded me out and I quickly pulled away, blushing furiously.

"I'd better go. Bye, Embry!" I called out, waving.

"Bye, Olivia!" He replied, looking a bit more somber.

He stayed in his same spot on the sidewalk as I drove away, his eyes never leaving my car even as I began to get farther and farther away.

* * *

"You smell disgusting," was the first thing anyone said to me when I entered the house. I turned to give Rosalie a surprised look. I not so subtly lifted my arms and smelled both armpits before sniffing my clothes. Everything smelled fresh and clean.

"What do you mean?" I asked, befuddled.

She rolled her eyes and gave me a disgusted look. "You smell like a wet dog."

I froze for a moment. _Shit_, I thought. _Do werewolves have a distinct smell to vampires?_ I really needed to figure out a way to mask it, if I was going to meet with Embry again. I had no intention of telling my family about Embry, ever. I knew that if they found out we would never see each other again.

I tried to play it cool and shrugged. "A customer next to me had a dog with them. Maybe that's what it is?" I asked. "You know me. I see a cute pet, I can't help but cuddle it."

She gave me a suspicious one over, but eventually accepted my excuse and moved on. "Dinner's in five minutes."

I sagged with relief and ran upstairs to shower and change clothes before I had to explain myself once again. I scrubbed my entire body until my skin was red and raw, praying that it got rid of the wolf smell. Rosalie may not question it, but Edward would immediately read my mind and know the truth of what was going on.

I put on a pair of comfy sweats and went downstairs. Everyone was amusing themselves in some way and Esme pointed out where she'd attempted to make some kind of pasta dish. It was hard to prepare dinner when you couldn't taste it and see if it was good. Most of the time her cooking was pretty spot on for someone who doesn't eat human food.

Grabbing my plate of food, I plopped down on the couch next to Emmett, who was playing a video game I didn't recognize. As I ate and watched him play, I realized that there was one person missing from the group.

"Where is Edward?" I asked.

Rosalie let out a sharp, biting laugh. "Where he always is - watching over her."

I rolled my eyes and kept on eating. Secretly, I was pleased that I wouldn't have to see Edward tonight. It gave me time to figure out the best way to hide my meeting with Embry tomorrow. Of course, I couldn't keep putting off him figuring it out forever, but at least his obsession with Bella would buy me some time to find a good way to break it to them.

After I'd finished eating and put away my dishes, Alice informed me that she and Edward were leaving from school early tomorrow. "He wants to rid himself of any possible...appetite before he spends all of Saturday with her," she explained. "We'll probably be back late that night."

I nodded and tried to keep my expression as neutral as possible. Hiding Embry from Edward's prying mind would be much easier than I thought. After all, he'd be distracted all day tomorrow with Bella and then leave early with Alice. I'd be able to meet Embry and maybe set up another day to hang out without a preachy Edward stepping in.

My chances of befriending one of the wolves and keeping it under wraps were getting better and better. Suddenly, I couldn't help but eagerly await tomorrow afternoon.


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello, everyone! Thank you so much to those of you that reviewed last time. I really appreciate the feedback you give me as it really keeps me motivated. I'll keep this short and simply say I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight; that would be Stephenie Meyer's domain.**

* * *

The next morning was similar to yesterday as Edward was out the door before I even had the chance to say hello. Normally I'd be offended at being so casually brushed aside, but instead I was elated. That meant that I was able to spend most of my morning day dreaming about Embry without any feelings of shame or guilt.

I spent most of the school day with earbuds stuck in my ears and focused in on the lyrics. I'd found that the best way for me to censor my thoughts was to focus on music and let that be the only thing on my mind. If Edward was suspicious because of my actions, he hid it well. He seemed equally as captivated by Bella today as he was yesterday.

He spent lunch with Bella once again and then left early with Alice not long after. As soon as I felt safe in the knowledge that they were far enough away, I pulled my earbuds out and let myself really think for a while. Censoring your own thoughts is harder than you'd think it would be.

I let myself think of all the things I'd been suppressing. My plans to meet with Embry, how beautiful he looked when he smiled, his being part of the Quileute pack, the way my heart beat faster whenever he was near me, and all the other little things that I thought of when I thought of him. I felt so very free for the first time in a long time. Living with a bunch of vampires and one who could read my mind left no room for any privacy whatsoever.

After the rest of our siblings and I went home, I immediately headed back out to that little coffee shop and settled into a comfortable seat by the window as I waited for Embry to show. Soon after, I was greeted by the sound of a tinkling bell and rush of cold air from outside, signaling that a customer had entered.

I turned around and was faced with my favorite wolf boy. He was wearing a tight black tee shirt and jeans, his hair dripping wet from the rain. As soon as our eyes met, his face lit up with a huge smile and I smiled back, equally delighted at seeing him.

He came and sat down in front of me, still grinning from ear to ear. "How are you?" He asked brightly, then he seemed to remember something that worried him as he began to look me up and down with concerned eyes. "Are you alright?"

I realized that he was making sure my family hadn't maimed or killed me yet and I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Embry, no one has harmed me. I wish there was a way to convince you that they're not going to decide to eat me or something."

"It's not them _deciding_ to do anything. Accidents can happen just as easily for them, Olivia," he told me seriously.

"Alright, alright, enough sad talk. I'm happy to see you and I won't allow your worrying to bring me down," I replied stubbornly as I placed my hands on my hips.

He grinned once again and I felt my heart melt inside. Jesus, I'd never felt this way about anyone before. He made me feel weak in the knees just by giving me a single look. It was terrifying how much control he had over my emotions. How did people live like this all the time?

We talked for a while about everything and nothing. Some of our favorite things as well as basic childhood topics. Nothing to deep or serious as I'd had enough dreariness for one day. Before I knew it we'd been talking for nearly an hour.

"Oh, I might have to get going soon or my family will get suspicious," I commented while looking down at my watch.

Embry's shoulders dropped with defeat. "When can I see you again? I'm free all of tomorrow!"

I thought about Edward's day with Bella and shrugged. If he could have a day to himself, why can't I? "We could hang out all day tomorrow, if you want. My family has other plans anyway."

He smiled brightly. "Great! You should come to La Push and meet the rest of the pack."

My eyes widened slightly. "Embry...am I even allowed over there?"

"That's never stopped you before."

"Yeah, but going to First Beach for a couple hours and literally entering the home of one of the pack members are two very different situations," I told him. "And I don't want to do anything that could threaten the truce you have with my family right now."

"I guarantee that you are allowed to come on the rez and that your family won't get in trouble," Embry mockingly promised. "Now will you please say yes? You're part of the pack now, you need to meet them!"

I paused from putting away my things and gave him a quizzical look. "Why am I part of the pack? I'm not a wolf like you guys."

Embry froze and seemed to get a little pale before attempting a smooth recovery. "I'll explain tomorrow if you come, OK?"

I eyed him suspiciously, but nodded my head in agreement anyway. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow. What time should I be there and where?"

"Do you know where the treaty line is?" Embry asked.

"Yeah."

"Meet me there tomorrow morning at 10:00, OK?" Embry said as he got up from his seat.

"OK."

* * *

So that's how I found myself standing on the edge of our side of the treaty line at ten o'clock on a Saturday. It occurred to me that morning as I was getting dressed that I didn't know what attire was appropriate for meeting Embry's pack. It wasn't exactly a meet the family situation because Embry and I weren't dating, but at the same time it felt just as important.

Cautiously, I'd tried to aim for something in between nice and comfortable enough for physical activity. I had on a maroon colored blouse with some skinny jeans and comfortable brown boots. I had on a light jacket as well as a scarf and I felt ready to take on the world.

I also had the unfortunate realization that despite agreeing to meet at the treaty line, we never said specifically where as it was a huge line that split up the rez and Forks. I'd pulled over on the road leading from Forks to La Push right at the treaty line and sat in my car, waiting. Hopefully Embry's wolfy senses would help him in finding me.

Sure enough, a beat up truck came rumbling down the road and pulled over as well. At first I wasn't sure if it was Embry because there was definitely more than one person in the truck. But then the car pulled to a stop and Embry's beaming face hopped out of the driver's seat, rushing over to greet me.

I laughed loudly as he pulled me up into a swinging embrace, lifting my feet high off the ground. "Embry!" I squealed. "Put me down!"

He chuckled, but did as I said. He gave me a quick once over that I was now convinced he wasn't capable of not doing and then turned to the other guys who exited the truck. They were very similar in appearance to Embry - tall, muscled boys with dark hair cropped short and cut off jeans - and neither of them seemed delighted at my appearance.

"Olivia, these are the guys. Guys, this is the infamous Olivia Cullen," Embry quickly introduced, looking much more somber and serious. Gone was the happy go lucky boy I knew and I wished that I knew how to get him back.

I tried to smile in a friendly manner, but it was difficult when they only stared me down in response. "It's nice to meet you all. Embry has told me nothing but great things," I said politely.

"Right," replied one of them gruffly. "Can't say the same for you."

I turned to give Embry a stern look. He held his hands up high and said, "I only complimented you to the best of my ability." He glared at the guy across from me and added, "Paul's just being a jackass right now."

"Sorry if I don't want some leech sympathizer on our land," the boy - Paul - hissed back, sending me a dark look.

I stiffened, but fought to reign in my temper. Lashing out would only prove his point and there was no way I would give this guy the satisfaction.

"Hey, watch it!" Embry snapped, immediately taking a defensive stance.

I placed a hand on Embry's chest, coaxing him into backing down. "Hey, Em, it's no big deal. I totally understand where Paul here is coming from," I told him calmly before giving Paul a sharp glare. "I'm sure he's about as eager to be around me as I am to be around such a mangy, flea infested mutt."

Another boy let out a loud guffaw. "Ooh, Paul, you need some ice for that burn?" He quipped before smiling at me hesitantly. "I'm Jared, by the way."

Paul punched Jared's shoulder and gave me one last glare before getting into the bed of the truck to pout.

"Sorry about him," Embry muttered. "He's like that with everyone."

"Yeah, Paul has a stick perpetually up his ass," Jared added, smirking.

I nodded and then glanced at Embry. "So, what are we waiting for? I'm excited to hang out with you!"

Embry awkwardly shuffled his feet, refusing to meet my eye. "Yeah, so that's why we're all here..."

"What is it?" I asked suspiciously.

He sighed and gave me a pleading look. "Sam says you have to come meet with him before we go anywhere on the rez."

I nodded. "That's fine, I understand where he's coming from."

"And you have to leave your car on this side of the line."

Fighting back a roll of my eyes, I conceded to Sam's (slightly ridiculous) requests and followed the two boys back to the truck. I ended up sandwiched between the two of them, sweating. Even though it was a chilly day, being stuck between to human heaters made it hard not to burn up.

We pulled up on front of a cute looking bungalow out away from any neighborhoods. It was close to the woods and the isolation probably provided a good place for the wolves to phase out and be comfortable without any concerns for civilians seeing. Embry gently helped me out of the truck, keeping a hold on my hand even after I got out.

I didn't make any comment and tried to remind myself that it was his way of showing solidarity. We might be friends, but it was a bit much to expect Embry to have feelings for a "leech sympathizer", as Paul had so politely put it.

Once we entered the house, I was assaulted with the aroma of freshly baked muffins and fought the urge to moan out loud. A woman was shuffling around in the kitchen, as if she were tidying up as quickly as possible. The boys cleared their throats loudly and she quickly spun around.

I wasn't prepared for the sight of half her face being bandaged up. She was clearly very beautiful underneath all the wrappings, but I couldn't stop from staring for a moment. What had happened to cause that much damage?

She smiled at me brightly and I mentally shook off any of my surprise, hoping my gawking wasn't too obvious. "You must be Olivia, it's so nice to meet you!"

Before I could reply, she pulled me into a hug. Not sure what else to do, I hesitantly returned her affection.

"I'm Emily, Sam's girlfriend," she said quickly. "Are you hungry? I made muffins." She gestured towards the huge amount of muffins on the kitchen table.

"Sure," I replied. "It smells delicious."

As soon as I sat down, the boys followed suit and began stuffing their faces. I guess actively protecting La Push worked up your appetite a lot.

"So," Emily began once everyone had gotten something to eat, "what are you guys up to today?"

I glanced at Embry, who shrugged with a mouth full of muffins. "We're playing it by ear, right now."

She smiled. "Sounds fun! Sam should be here any minute to give you the whole 'I am the Alpha' spiel."

As if on cue, the front door opened and Sam strutted inside, eyes immediately locking in on Emily. He walked over and they shared a kiss, carefully avoiding any of her bandages. He sat down next to her before finally facing me. Any happiness on his face bled away at the sight of me.

He glanced at me up and down. "You're Olivia Cullen?"

I nodded. "The one and only."

"Anything you see or learn about La Push or our pack is to remain a secret," he informed me sternly. "You will not be informing the Cullens of our activities or plans. Any information you give them must be approved first."

"You make it sound like I came here to spy on you!" I exclaimed, aghast that they really thought so little of me. "I have no intentions of spying on you. To be honest, I could care less about your pack secrets. I just want to spend time with Embry and not have to deal with my family lecturing me. So, if that's all this 'breakfast' meeting was for, rest easy. I don't give a shit about your pack secrets."

There was a long pause where Sam and I were locked in some sort of intense stare down. Finally, he turned his head towards Embry and nodded once. Then, silently, he and Paul left the table to go patrol or do whatever it is these wolf boys do.

What the hell?

I turned to face Emily, who raised her hands up. "Don't ask me. I had nothing to do with this other than providing the muffins."

"He approves," Embry assured me, placing a hot hand on my back. "Otherwise he would've had you leave immediately."

"Well, I'm going to do the dishes. Jared, you're helping," Emily said, slowly getting up.

Jared, who had a mouth full of muffin, protested loudly. "Aw, come on, Em!"

"Get off your lazy dog butt," she replied before facing me one last time. "It's nice to have another wolf girl around," she told me, winking coyly.

I raised an eyebrow. _Wolf girl?_ I thought. _What the hell does that mean? Do all wolf pack members talk in code at all times?_

"Time to go," Embry stated suddenly, dragging me up from my seat.

"Where are we going?" I shouted.

He turned and grinned mischievously. "Wherever the hell we want."


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I can't express how much your kind reviews meant to me. I enjoyed reading everything you had to say and I really hope that you keep on reading and reviewing. I love hearing from you! Also, I have slightly edited the timeline as well as Embry's age to fit my story better. To clarify any confusion, Embry is at least 16 in this story and while I recognize that Embry didn't phase until later in the next year, it fit the story better for him to phase close after Paul.**

**Also, has anyone read Life and Death? While I'm not sure if I would like a gender-bent version of Twilight, I'm at least interested to see how it turned out. I'd love to hear what some of you who have already read it thought of it.**

**Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight; that would be Stephenie Meyer's domain.**

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At the beginning of our La Push exploration, Embry drove me around the rez and pointed out different sights that might interest me. La Push was fairly small, but I hadn't ever been able to explore it. Maybe the taboo feeling of being there made everything a lot more interesting than it actually was.

After driving around for a while, Embry parked near the beach and pulled out a picnic basket as well as blankets to wrap up in and sit on. He set up camp on a rockier area near the water and held up the picnic basket as some sort of dramatic offering of friendship.

I sat down next to him and gravitated towards the warmth his body exuded. Opening up the wicker lid, I was surprised to find a plethora of homemade foods. I glanced up at Embry with wide eyes.

"Did you make all this food?" I couldn't help but exclaim.

His cheeks turned bright red as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Not exactly. Emily did most of the work while I just watched and tried not to eat it all."

I raised an eyebrow. "But you did eat some of it already?"

The way his cheeks became darker was answer enough.

We spread out the various options of food beside us as we packed our plates with food. I let out a loud groan when I tried some of the food. It was a strong possibility that Emily had made a deal with the devil for magical cooking abilities. No way the supernatural didn't have a hand in her cooking.

Embry seemed to agree with my assessment, judging by the way he stuffed his face rapidly. Neither of us spoke for a long time as we were too busy eating like pigs.

Once we'd slowed down and begun to get full, I laid back on the blanket and looked up at the rez's surprisingly blue sky. Often the sky was impossible to find in Washington State. I closed my eyes and basked in the warmth of Embry's body heat beside me.

"Are you falling asleep? We haven't even seen the cliffs yet!" Embry practically whined.

Without opening my eyes, I gripped his arm and he allowed me to pull him down next to me. "Shut your big mouth for one moment, Embry. Listen."

He paused and seemed to take my advice. His silence was brief before he broke out obnoxiously, "I don't hear anything!"

I sighed, pulling my arms behind my head. "Exactly. The silence is soothing without mangy wolves blabbering through it."

He huffed and let out a put upon sigh, but otherwise became quiet. We laid there in the silence for a few minutes, just reveling in the gentle ambience of our surroundings.

Eyes closed, I could feel Embry roll over to face me. I cracked open one eye to glare at his grinning face. "What?" I demanded.

"I have something really fun for us to do!" He told me, giddier than a five year-old on Christmas day. He jumped up from his place beside me and held out a hand. I begrudgingly took it and stood up, brushing off my clothes a little melodramatically, hoping to convey that I didn't support this decision to get up and move.

We packed up the makings of our picnic and put it into the truck before he drove me up a winding road in the edge of the reservation. The route there was very scenic and I enjoyed hanging my head out the window as the wind blew my hair back behind me. Suddenly, he pulled over beside where there were cliffs dropping off into the murky water below us.

He got out and I followed suit, unsure of what we were about to do.

"Look at those cliffs!" Embry exclaimed, arms spread wide. He did a spin that reminded me of the opening of _The Sound of Music_ as he walked to the edge of the cliffs and looked down. The waves crashed against the sides of the cliffs loudly, deafening me.

"What are we doing?" I yelled over the booming voice of the waves, hands held over my ears.

His dark brown eyes twinkled in a way that resembled a naughty child. "We're going to jump."

My eyes went wide and I barely kept my jaw from falling to the ground. "What?!"

He let out a booming laugh that rivaled the waves in sound. "Not from this high, obviously, there's a lowering level of cliffs if we climb down for a little bit."

Against my better instincts, I followed him down another winding path that led to an edge of the cliffs that was much lower and less intimidating than the ones from above. Embry took off his shoes and shirt, leaving on only a pair of cutoff jean shorts. I only removed my shoes and valuables like my car keys and wallet.

"Take my hand," he commanded, holding out one large palm. I quickly took it, threading my fingers through his and tightening my grip. "On the count of three, we'll jump in together, OK?"

I nodded.

"One...two..._three_!"

As soon as we went tumbling over the edge, I felt my heart fly up into my throat. I held onto Embry's hand for dear life as the water came closer and closer at a speed that was both too fast and too slow. I clenched my eyes shut and could only let out a loud gasp right as we hit the freezing water.

We sunk down under for a moment before natural instinct had me kicking back up to the surface. I broke through and gasped in the air, the temperature of the water pressing against my chest and making it hard to breath. I kept breathing in and out deeply, unsure of how to tame the fire in my lungs.

Before I could begin to panic, Embry popped out of the water, looking like some sort of model from a magazine. My irrational rage at his casualty about the whole situation helped refocus my attention. Calmer, I splashed water in Embry's face, who sputtered and spit out a mouthful of water.

"Wasn't that fun?" He asked.

I gave him a derisive look. "I'm soaking wet in freezing cold water and my shoes are all the way up there," I replied, pointing up to the ledge we'd jumped from. It seemed a lot higher now that I'd realized how far I'd have to go to get back there. "How do you think I feel?"

Embry seemed unfazed by my criticism and replied, "Don't worry, I'll carry you back to the car and then get our stuff from up there."

I didn't fight him on the offer as I had no intention of hiking all the way back up there in my drenched socks. "Did you at least bring extra clothes for us to change into?"

Judging by his wide eyed look, I would say that was a no.

We swam over to the shore where Embry immediately made good on his promise and scooped me up out of the water. Normally, I'd be ranting about the fact I was no damsel in distress, but Embry's body heat was too nice for me to argue. I merely huddled against his chest and enjoyed my escort back to the truck.

Once our belongings were retrieved and we were both back in the car, still soaked to the bone, Embry drove us back into town. We pulled into the driveway of an unfamiliar house. The house itself was fairly small and underwhelming, only a single story with barely enough room to function.

"This is my house," Embry explained as he lead the way inside. Inside, the house was modestly decorated, but comfortable with varying shades of blue and brown. I was sorely tempted to flop onto his couch and take a nap, but instead I followed him into what I assumed was his bedroom.

It was fairly clean as far as rooms go - certainly more clean than mine - and the only thing that really tipped off that it was a teenage boy's room was the amount of posters taped to the walls. Embry told me to sit on the bed while he rifled through a dresser for a moment.

"Aha!" He called out and pulled out a La Push High sweatshirt as well as a pair of gray sweatpants. "They're not much, but at least they're dry."

I took them and went into the bathroom to change. When I came back out, feeling cleaner and comfier, Embry had changed into a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt with some obscure band I'd never heard of on it. He was spralled out on his bed, looking totally at ease. When he made eye contact with me and didn't move, I took that as an invitation to lay down next to him.

The bed was a tight fit, but we made it work, turned on our sides facing one another. I glanced behind him and saw on a nightstand a picture of a younger Embry and two boys.

"Who're they?" I asked without thinking.

Embry didn't need to turn to look and see who I was talking about. He immediatel replied with, "My best friends Jacob and Quil. They live here on the rez too."

"Do they know about the whole wolf thing?" I pried, trying to meet his eyes, though they were now downcast to the side.

He shook his head. "No, I can't tell anyone outside the pack without Sam's approval."

I frowned at the thought of having to keep my friends and family shut out. "Are you not allowed to talk to them anymore?"

"Sam hasn't said that, so I still spend time with them at school and stuff," Embry answered quietly.

"Are they not curious about your physical change virtually over night?" I wondered.

He sighed and rolled onto his back so he could stare up at the ceiling, hands coming up behind his head to support it. "I made up some cover story about getting a job doing physical labor for people around the rez and Forks, but they don't really believe it. We kind of just pretend that we don't all know I'm lying."

What a sad way to live, I thought to myself, seeing the way Embry's face had practically shut down, no longer the bright, vibrant boy I was used to. I tried to steer the topic towards safer waters. "What about your family?"

"It's just my mom and me, so that isn't as hard to deal with," Embry remarked with a clearly forced amount of positivity.

I couldn't help but reach out to touch his face, offering what little comfort I could through physical contact. I pressed my chilled fingers to his smooth cheek and stroked over it with my thumb. My touch caused him to turn his head to look at me, eyes conveying a deep vulnerability.

"Does your mom not know either?" I guessed timidly.

He shook his head again, drawing back in on himself as he turned his face towards the ceiling. "She was difficult to be around before the change. After...it just seemed easier to feed into her image of a rebellious, angst-ridden son than tell her the truth."

I nodded and tried to keep my expression in a way that conveyed my sympathy. "I'm sorry for prying," I murmured, moving closer to him so my head was pressed against his shoulder. "We can talk about something else."

"What about you? What's your story?" He asked, plastering a smile on his face.

I breathed out a shaky chuckle. "'Story'? What kind of story?"

"Anything!" He offered. "I just want to know more about you."

I mindlessly traced a swirling pattern across the back of Embry's hand, which had somehow made its way into mine, and thought over where to start. "I was adopted by the Cullens when I was five. I don't really remember my birth parents, just flashes of mundane routines that don't tell me much of anything."

"How did you end up with the Cullens?" Embry asked a little desperately, as though he'd been holding this question in for too long.

"My parents were one of many victims of vampires in the area," I intoned, sounding flat and mindless. "My family went to investigate and clean up the matter because they lived nearby and it was causing problems. And then they met me and the rest is history I suppose."

"Victims, as in your parents were..." He trailed off.

"Murdered by vampires? Yeah," I commented a little to glibly.

"And you still want to live with seven vampires? After knowing all that?" He questioned incredulously, eyes wide.

I felt my walls start to come up as I slid away from Embry slightly. "Yes. I don't blame an entire populace for one person's actions."

Embry opened his mouth as though to make some kind of retort, but seemed to think better of it and let the subject drop. "Tell me about them, then."

"About who?" I asked, leaning my head back to look him in the eye quizzically.

"Your family. You care about them and they're important to you, therefore they're important to me." He paused to smile down at me almost fondly. "Tell me about them."

I took in a deep breath and began. "Well, the 'patriarch' of our family is my father, Carlisle. He's a doctor at Forks Hospital and has impeccable control. He's kind of the trendsetter of the animal blood diet they're on. I respect him more than anyone else and I know that he will always be there for me in any way I need. So will my mom, his wife Esme. She's kind of a stereotypical housewife, but she cares a lot about all of her children, as she likes to say.

"My siblings are Jasper, Alice, Emmett, Rosalie, and Edward. The first four are married to one another - Jasper and Alice, Emmett and Rosalie - while Edward and I were the pathetically single ones. Jasper is kind of the strong, silent type whereas Alice is personality plus. Emmett is kind of a meathead, but he's a sweet guy at heart. And Rose can be kind of an icy person, but she just cares a lot about our family and is too protective of us. Edward's a bit angsty, but he's a pretty good listener."

I paused to glance up and see if I'd lost him in this long moment of silence. He seemed to be soaking in everything I was saying, so I continued on.

"They're all wonderful people, very kind and generous. I feel like such a bad person in comparison sometimes. It's hard not to feel inferior in a house fool of perfect specimens, but especially when you're a teenage girl full of heightened emotions. I've never told them that, of course, because they can't help it, but there are some days where I feel like I'm just going to lose it. I constantly find myself wondering why they even keep me with them anymore..."

I realized that this had changed into some sort of rant session and none of what I'd said was very positive towards the end. Embry sat up suddenly, startling me. He spun around and pulled me up so that I was facing across from him and looked me dead in the eye for a moment. He looked like he was searching for something before he finally spoke.

"You're a good person, Olivia. A wonderful one, even. And no matter what happens with your family or you, I will always be there for you. I will never abandon you and neither will my pack, OK?" He informed me gravely.

I couldn't help but sigh and roll my eyes. "Embry, don't make promises that you can't keep. You're my friend and I like you, but isn't that all a bit over the top? And why would your pack give a crap about me?"

He stopped for a moment, zoning out on a spot on his blue bed comforter before he glanced up at me again. He took my hands into his and said very slowly and enunciated, "I'm going to tell you something, but you have to promise not to freak out until I'm done talking. Got it?"

Curiosity taking over, I nodded immediately. "OK."

He took in a deep breath, as if to steady himself, and sighed it out for a long moment. "In our pack, we have this phenomenon called imprinting. Essentially, this means that whenever a wolf in our pack meets their soulmate, they're immediately tied to this person. Kind of like love at first sight, only it's much deeper. Imprints, as we call these soulmates, are what keep us grounded and often help reign in our wolves."

"So, Emily is Sam's imprint?" I blurted out.

"Yeah, exactly. So, when we find our imprint, they're immediately part of the pack. By being tied to us in that way, the imprint is tied to the rest of the pack in a familial way. Does all this make sense?" He asked, frantically looking at me for some sign of confusion or hesitation.

"I understand, Embry. But why are you telling me all this?" I practically shouted at him, losing my patience for his dramatic build up.

He did the weird yoga breathing thing again and then stated in a quivering voice, "Olivia, the day we met caused me to phase early because you're my imprint. I imprinted on you."

A long silent moment passed where I just stared at him with wide eyes and an open mouth. I opened and closed my mouth multiple times, trying to find the words to say in response. How does one respond to that, exactly? I had no idea what to say even if I found my voice.

"I...I-I..._what_?" I stuttered, feeling my cheeks heat up, no doubt a splotchy red.

"You're my imprint, my soulmate," he informed me in a stronger voice.

"Um...OK?" I stated cautiously. "Do I not get a say in this situation at all? Is this a done deal?"

Embry seemed horrified at the thought and violently shook his head back and forth. "No, no, no. I'm telling you this because you have the right to choose where we go from here. Soulmates don't necessarily have to be romantically involved. As the imprint, it's your wishes that matter the most to me."

"This is a lot of pressure," I blurted out. "Are you...in _love_ with me?"

"Yes," Embry answered without even a second of hesitation. "But I will always care about you no matter what you choose. My greatest wish is for you to be happy, with whoever you want."

I nodded, biting my lip. "Can I...Can I think all this over? It's a lot to take in."

"Of course, take all the time you need." He paused and then added a little hesitantly, "Just...don't shut me out? Please?"

The innocence of the question gave me a bit of relief and my body sagged down as I smiled languidly. "Of course, Embry. I would never do that to you, no matter how I feel."

A painful silence followed my words and all I could do was repeat Embry's words over and over in my head. Imprint...I was Embry's imprint, I thought. None of it felt real, like a hazy dream I would wake up from at any moment.

Sliding carefully off of his bed, I put on my shoes and gathered up my things. I turned back to find Embry watching me with wide eyes. "I think I'd better head home now," I told him in a hoarse voice.

He nodded and got up, leading me out of his house and back towards the pick up truck. The drive to the boarder was a similar silence to that of at Embry's house. I didn't know what to say to him, really. He had all these strong feelings for me that I wasn't sure if I was capable of reciprocating. I liked him and was attracted to him, that much was obvious, but I had so much going on in my life that falling in love seemed like an impossibility.

He pulled over in front of where my car was still parked on the side of the road and we got out together, walking to it quietly. I turned to say goodbye and squeaked out a shrill squeal when Embry abruptly pulled me up off the ground into a tight embrace. Unable to resist, I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face into his chest. Imprint or not, I didn't think it was possible for me to shut Embry out of my life. He gave me a kind of comfort not even my own family could provide.

"I'll call you," I promised in a solemn voice once he'd put me back down.

"I'll be waiting," he replied with a small smile, hoping to lighten the mood.

I got into my car and quickly turned to go home before I did something stupid. As I drove away, I glanced back in my rearview mirror to see Embry standing exactly where I'd left him, eyes never leaving mine.


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hello, loyal readers! Thank you so much for your lovely reviews! As always, I really appreciate your feedback and find a lot of inspiration from both your commentary and general support of my fic. This update is a bit short, considering how long it's been since I updated, but I hope you'll enjoy it!**

**Please leave me a review letting me know how you liked this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight; that would be Stephenie Meyer's domain.**

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_"You're my imprint, my soulmate."_

Embry's words cycled through my mind over and over as I struggled to comprehend the whole situation. Not only was Embry a shape-shifter in a pack that despised my family and their kind, but now he had apparently imprinted on me and discovered that we were meant to be.

What kind of sick joke was this? I'd never thought I'd be able to have a relationship with anyone until after I was changed. In my mind, the most likely option was I would have to wait a while - hopefully not as long as Edward has - and then eventually meet another vampire who I could spend eternity with. It was the only way for my family's secret to stay safe.

So I'd always ignored boys my age, favored keeping to myself rather than vying for the attention of some boy I'd never be able to truly have a relationship with. It was easier that way. No one got hurt.

And here comes Embry Call foiling all of my plans.

While he knows about the supernatural world that I live in, he's hardly accepting of my family. At best, he would tolerate them for my sake. Not to mention he would flip out over their plans to turn me into one of them.

Yet I knew deep down that my feelings for him were more than simply a platonic affection. The real question I had to answer was if I would be willing to let those feelings grow and risk the chaos that came with it?

Pulling into the driveway of my home, the sun had just set on the horizon. I could see through the glass, floor-to-ceiling windows that everyone was home except for Edward, all gathered together in our living room. I got out of my car and walked inside, pulling my still wet hair back out of my face.

As soon as I walked in the door, I realized what a grave mistake I'd made.

"What is that disgusting wet dog smell?" I heard Rosalie demand from the living room. I glanced down at the clothes I was wearing - Embry's clothes, to be exact - and felt my heart drop to my stomach.

I took a few more steps before I was descended upon by my entire family, all watching me with equally weary looks. Esme stepped forward and placed a light hand on my shoulder, looking very hesitant to speak.

"Olivia, where were you today?" She asked in a quiet, eerily calm voice.

Before I could open my mouth to respond, Emmett cut in with a derisive, "I think we all know where she's been."

I narrowed my eyes in a deadly glare as I met his gaze, before facing the rest of my family. "Alright, let's just get this over with, shall we? I was at La Push with Embry Call, who is a wolf shape-shifter and part of Sam Uley's pack. He and I are friends, so we spent the day together."

For a moment, there was no sound. No one even breathed for a while. Then Rosalie finally said, "What the _hell_ were you thinking?"

"She wasn't," Jasper replied for me, looking at me with such disappointment that I had to turn away from him. This was worse then I'd ever imagined. Prejudices towards Embry and his pack, I could handle, but letting my family down so severely was abhorrent to witness.

"Please, will you just listen to me?" I demanded, tears stinging my eyes.

Carlisle and Esme shared a concerned look. "We warned you the consequences of entering that territory, Olivia, and you still went back. It's so unlike you to be this reckless," Carlisle admonished sternly.

"Did you ever think about how your actions could hurt _us_?" Rosalie snapped at me, eyes ablaze with fury. "Your _family_?"

This caused them to erupt in bickering, with Esme and Alice trying to defend me while Rosalie and Carlisle wanted me to be held responsible for my actions. Jasper just looked at me with these deep, sad eyes while Emmett looked mostly pissed off by how much I smelled of wet dog.

"Will everybody just shut up for one minute?!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, cutting through their conversations like a knife. They all turned to look at me carefully, like I were some disease ridden animal about to snap at any moment. I brushed a strand of hair out of my face and let out a huff of a sigh.

I continued, "You do not get to berate me for the recklessness of my actions because I had permission from Embry's pack and the tribe to be on their land. It was approved by all the higher ups because, despite what you seem to think of me, I do care about this family. Also Embry is my friend and you don't get to dictate who I am friends with and who I am not. I am 17 years old and I don't need you running my life for me."

"Darling, we're just worried about you," Esme tried to reason, her topaz colored eyes pleading. She took a step toward me, as if to comfort me, and I moved away.

"I am so tired to feeling stifled by this family's lifestyle. I don't fit into your supernatural world - I am, at best, a liability that you seem to care about. And I can't fit into the world of humans because I've had to force myself out of it. I am constantly caught between who you want to be and who the world wants me to be. I am so tired of struggling with this constant feeling of inadequacy and you know what? Embry makes me feel better. Embry makes me feel happy and normal, for once in my life."

I paused to take in a few deep breaths and stave off the tears threatening to spill over. "Berate me all you want, but is it really selfish of me to try and have that freedom and normalcy for a few hours?"

None of them seemed to have a good enough response, so I took that as my time to go and I practically ran upstairs to my room. Slamming the door behind me, I locked the door handle and flopped down on my bed, exhausted all of a sudden. My eyelids closed slowly and I fell into a deep sleep, overwhelmed by the day's events.

* * *

No one addressed the topic of yesterday's events when I came down for breakfast the next morning. My family went about their usual routines while I waited, shoulders tensed, for the other shoe to drop.

"Edward is bringing Bella over today," Esme called from inside the kitchen. "Would you mind dressing a little nicer for the occasion? I really want her to feel comfortable and at home here."

While it was tempting to be an asshole and refuse, any fight I had was drained out of me last night when I came home to a war zone. That brief but incendiary interaction was enough to push me away from any kind of confrontation. I nodded my head absently and went upstairs to get ready.

I chose a simple ensemble of a light blue sundress with spaghetti straps and a white cardigan. My hair was pulled back into a tight bun on the top of my head, a few wavy tendrils of golden hair framing my face. I'd applied a minimal amount of makeup, just enough to brighten up my face, before slipping on a pair of white flats.

At around lunch time, I came downstairs to find most of my family cluttered in the kitchen, preparing a sensational meal for their impending guest. I kept to myself, afraid to broach any kind of real conversation in case it should ignite some kind of argument. While Bella's presence in our family made me anxious and worried about how that could change things for me, I understood how important this first meeting was to most of my family. I didn't want something as easily preventable as an argument with me to ruin this occasion.

We heard tires crunching the gravel path leading up to our property and each person went to their prospective "stations" with varying degrees of excitement. Esme and Carlisle continued to cook while Rosalie and Emmett were casually lounging in the living room. Alice had taken Jasper outside to collect himself and ease him into the situation rather than spring a human on him.

I ended up sitting at the island in the kitchen, watching Esme flutter around from appliance to appliance, focused on her task of preparing some kind of Italian dish. The front door opened and I faintly heard Edward and Bella's voices talking back and forth. They eventually came into the main area of the house and I got up, turning to face the couple. Edward barely looked away from Bella as he acknowledged me with a slight nod of his head before his gaze snapped back to her.

"Bella, it's so good to see you!" I told her, trying to put on my best front and be nice. I walked over to her and hugged her lightly. "How are you?"

"Good," Bella replied, blushing a bit. I guess I'd gone a bit overboard with my reception.

Conscious of that, I walked away from the happy couple and sat down where I'd been, watching as Edward made introductions a bit awkwardly. Before he had the chance to finish introducing Bella, Alice and Jasper made a rather dramatic entrance through the window. Alice, having no inhibitions, enveloped Bella in a tight embrace before commenting on how good she smelled. Bella stuttered back, not sure how to respond and I couldn't help but laugh quietly to myself.

"I hope you like Italian food," Esme told Bella with a friendly smile. She gestured to the pile of food she and Carlisle were still preparing, with a frigid Rosalie lending a helping hand. "We made lots."

Bella seemed to freeze up for a moment before replying, "Oh, yeah, I love Italian-"

"She already ate," Edward cut in, obviously seeing no point in humoring them. I rolled my eyes at his lack of tact and putting Bella on the spot like that.

That was the last straw for Rosalie's already tumultuous temper as she squeeze the glass salad bowl in her hands so hard it burst in a thousand tiny shards, bits of lettuce and glass covering the ground and her feet. "That's just great," Rosalie snapped venomously.

"It's just, well, I knew that you all don't eat and I didn't want to be an inconvenience to anyone," Bella stuttered out, eyes wide and face ablaze. _What a disaster_, I thought to myself. _In a true Cullen fashion. _Edward, having heard my thoughts, shot me an unimpressed look.

"That was very thoughtful of you, Bella," Esme assured her. "We'll just save this for Olivia to eat later."

"You know me, I'm practically a human garbage disposal," I said, hoping to lighten the mood. My mind flashed back to Embry, wishing he were here to crack some joke that would get rid of my stiff posture. His laugh and presence always seemed to have a calming effect on me.

Immediately, I realized this was a mistake.

My eyes cut to Edward and he was glaring back at me with a blank, stony expression. I knew that he'd heard me, then, and scrambled to think of anything but Embry. Unfortunately, it was as though that one thought had cracked the dam holding in all my Embry related thoughts because they all just came flooding back to me. Our first meeting, his terror at finding out what he was, our meetings at the coffee shop, meeting his pack, spending the day together in La Push, feeling understood by him in a way I'd never been understood by anyone, the warm feeling I felt deep in my chest whenever he was near. All this and much more just flooded through my mind and Edward saw it all.

"Olivia," my brother's icy voice cut through the air like a knife. "I'd like to speak with you for a moment. _Now_."

Pasting on an easy-going facade, I slid out of my seat and followed Edward into one of the guest bedrooms we had and shut the door behind me quietly. When I turned around, the cold mask had fallen and I was faced with an enraged Edward.

"How could you do this?" Edward demanded. "I understand that you need freedom, that it's hard to be understood by us or your peers all the time, but a shifter? What on earth possessed you to believe this was anywhere near a good idea?"

"I wasn't thinking, Edward! It just happened, OK? You saw that and you know as well as I do that what I have with Embry is more than what you're trying to imply," I snapped back, waving my arms wide as I paced back and forth in front of him.

He let out a derisive snort. "Please, Olivia, it's puppy love! Nothing more."

"You don't get to tell me what I feel or what I have with Embry. It is no concern of yours!"

"It is most certainly a concern of mine when you're cavorting around with the enemy," Edward hissed, eyes narrowed into slits. "This relationship needs to stop, Olivia, before anyone gets hurt!"

"'The enemy'?!" I quoted back mockingly. "He's a teenager in a pack full of barely trained boys! They're hardly an army of high-class warriors."

"Those of his kind are volatile and dangerous. You could get very seriously hurt!" Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe you would be so reckless. This isn't the Olivia I know, that I've watched grow up."

A white-hot rage ran through my body. "You are such a hypocrite, Edward. You have no right to guilt me, to make me feel like shit when you are being equally reckless in your relationship with Bella. And if you ever stopped being such an angsty narcissist you would realize that I have been unhappy for a long time and Embry actually makes me feel better." I wiped the back of my hand over my eyes, mopping up the trail of tears streaking down my face. "Everyone in this family has made up some sort of impossible standard for me to meet, but I can't - I just can't! I'm sorry for being such a major disappointment to you, but I won't apologize for doing what makes me happy for once in my life."

I didn't bother to wait for his reply and stormed out of the room. Bella and my family watched me with curious expressions, but I ignored them as I ran out of the house, car keys in hand. I had to get out of that house before I slowly went insane.


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: Two updates in less than a week? What miracle is this?**

** I just wanted to say thank you to all of you that favorited and followed this story but also a big thank you to those of you that left a review. Your kind words meant so much and the fact that you enjoy my story enough to leave a review makes my little heart sing!**

**Also, as we near the end of the _Twilight_ portion of this story, I've begun to plan things out for when I get to _New Moon_. As I've seen in your reviews, many of you have wonderful ideas for how the story could go. So, I just wanted to hear your ideas/thoughts for where I could take this story in _New Moon_. I'm just honestly interested in finding out what you guys would enjoy reading.**

**Now, on with the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight; that would be Stephenie Meyer's domain.**

* * *

After the fight with Edward and my family, I wanted nothing more to look into Embry's deep, dark eyes and feel the calm that always washes over me whenever I am in his presence. While my feelings on his imprinting revelation were jumbled up and too conflicting to decipher, I was sure that the only person who could make me feel any better was him. I passed the line between Forks and La Push without a second of hesitation and headed in the direction of Embry's house.

It took me a couple wrong turns and U-turns, but I ultimately found that quaint little house once again. I was surprised to find a car in the driveway, but didn't think much of it as I parked behind it and got out. Either way, someone had to be home. If it was Embry's mother, hopefully she could point me in the right direction of where Embry was.

As I got closer and closer I could hear voices yelling back and forth from inside the house. I hesitated at the front door, hand raised up in a fist to knock. Before I had a chance to decide, the door swung open abruptly and a wide-eyed Embry stared back at me.

Instinctually, a small smile appeared on my face as I stared back at him. "Hi," I said, my voice soft and weak.

"Hey," Embry replied, eyebrows knitted tightly together. "What are you doing here?"

I opened my mouth to answer when an older woman's voice called from inside, "Don't you dare walk out that door, Embry McCall!"

_Uh oh_, I thought, _Embry and his mother must be having a fight and I'm the lucky soul who walked in on it._ Embry cringed at the grating tone of his mother's voice, a dark blush coming across his face in shame.

"You should probably-" Embry started when a hand reached out to rip the door even wider open and revealed an irate Quileute woman. She was very pretty with dark russet skin and deep-set dark eyes framed with long lashes. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun and her thin lips were set into a tight line. She stood a few inches shorter than me, but her glare was enough to make me feel smaller than an ant.

"Who's this?" She demanded.

"She's none of your business," Embry bit back harshly, eyes locked on mine.

His mother let out a harsh exhale and yanked Embry's arm so he was forced to face her. "Don't dismiss me, Embry. I am your mother and I have a right to know what the hell you've been doing at all hours lately." She glanced back at me to give me a derisive look. "And, more importantly, who's dragged you into this mess of drugs and God only knows what else."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. If she wasn't so terrifying, I might've laughed at her accusations as Embry seemed about as clean cut as they came.

"Leave her out of this," Embry snapped at her furiously. "I have told you once and I'll say it again: I haven't done anything horrible. I've been perfectly well behaved."

She let out a sharp, hollow laugh. "Oh, so when you go out with Sam Uley and his group of hooligans, it's all innocent? I'm not an idiot, Embry!"

"No, you're just crazy," he replied.

Her hand flew out in a flash and hit the side of his face with a harsh cracking sound. He didn't even flinch, just stared her down determinedly as his cheek bloomed dark red. I'd seen enough and got my keys ready in my hand.

"Embry, I think it's time for you to go with me," I stated calmly as I began taking small steps towards my car.

His mother turned her fuming gaze onto me. "You do not give orders on my property. I don't know who the hell you are and why you're here, but I want you to leave. Now."

"Gladly," I spat back. "But when I leave, he's coming with me."

"So your little pack can get your hooks in deeper? No son of mine will be doing any such thing," she replied and grabbed Embry's hand. "Embry, shut the door and go inside."

He tore his hand from hers and walked outside so we were standing side by side. "I'll be home later," he told her simply.

We turned and began walking to my car. As we opened the doors, his mother yelled, "Don't bother coming back here tonight! I don't want to see your ungrateful mug any time soon!"

I winced at her words, but got into the car nonetheless and drove us away from his house as fast as possible. Unsure of where to go, I decided Emily and Sam's was the best place for Embry - though probably not for myself - and headed in that direction.

"I'm sorry you had to see all that," Embry mumbled from the passenger side, looking down at his hands in shame.

I smiled at him in what I hoped was an encouraging way. "It's OK. I'm just glad we're together now."

That made him smile a bit and look up at me with an expression that had my heart beating just a little bit faster. "Me too."

The rest of the car ride was silent. Embry leaned his head against the window and watched the trees fly past us. Now that I could really look at him, his hunched posture and dark circles underneath his eyes betrayed a lack of sleep that was concerning. How hard had Sam been running Embry and the rest of the pack? He looked dead on his feet.

Eventually we reached Emily's house and I was relieved when I saw only one car parked in the driveway. I could handle his pack in small doses, but their animosity towards my family and me was uncomfortable to witness. Parking the car and turning it off, I gently shook Embry, who had fallen asleep in the brief drive over.

"Hmm?" He mumbled as he slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes with the backs of his hands. He looked around and then seemed to realize where we were as he immediately got out of the car, expression serious.

I got out as well and let him wrap an arm around my shoulders as he led me up onto the front porch and inside the house.

"Emily?" Embry called out.

"Coming!" a faint female voice replied as Emily came from somewhere in the back of the house. She smiled brightly when she saw me and said, "Oh, Olivia!"

As she wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug, I awkwardly patted her back, unsure of how to respond. Her enthusiasm versus the rest of the wolf boys' killer glares was very difficult to wrap my head around.

"Can we crash here for a while? My mom's been..." Embry trailed off, unsure how to explain.

Evidently, his need to escape his mother's overbearing nature was the norm because Emily merely nodded understandingly. "Sure thing, Em. I was actually just about to head out to run some errands, but feel free to make yourself comfortable and hang out." With that, she grabbed her purse and keys and was out the door in a flash.

Embry and I took her advice and got comfortable on the couch in her living room. We ended up to where Embry was laying on his back, feet hanging off the edge of the couch, while I was curled up against his side, head pillowed comfortably on his chest. His arm went around my shoulders and the other behind his head, letting out a contented sigh as he finally settled in. The position was hardly platonic, but I found myself not caring too much because it made me feel comfortable and cared for.

"Why did you come to see me, anyway?" Embry asked quietly, his words rumbling in his chest underneath my cheek.

I let out a sigh of my own, thinking of all the fighting I'd done in the last 24 hours. "My family found out that I'd been sneaking around with you and were less than pleased. We fought a lot and I stormed off. Then this morning I was expected to pretend everything was fine for Edward's new girlfriend, but then he found out as well and ripped me a new one. It sucked a lot and you seem to be the only person these days that make me feel any better."

"Why were they so upset?" Embry wondered aloud, sounding unsure if he really wanted to know the answer.

I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see me. "They think that our relationship is dangerous, that I'm being irresponsible and putting my needs before the needs of our entire family."

"Did you explain the imprint thing to them?"

"No, I didn't have the chance to say much of anything, to be honest. They just kind of bulldozed over me and expected me to nod along understandingly the entire time," I ranted, working myself up into a rage just thinking about it.

"Well, maybe that would help them to understand," he suggested. "The imprinting essentially means that we're meant to be in each other's lives. It doesn't matter what way, we just were meant to know one another and be part of the other person's life. The pack gets that, which is why they won't cause any problems over us."

I nodded. "I know that. I'm just not sure how to explain all this to them, you know? They hardly even listen to me anymore, so it's difficult for me to believe they'd take the time to understand us before they launch into a nothing lecture/yelling session."

Embry didn't reply this time. Instead, he wordlessly offered comfort in the form of rubbing his hand along my back in circles. I tucked myself just a little bit closer to him, pressing my ear close so I could listen to his heartbeat through his shirt. The combination of the steady thump-thump of his heart and the soothing movements of his hand had my eyes drifting closed and falling into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

The sound of the front door closing is what rips me from my slumber. I sat up slightly and look around the house, surprised to see how much later it'd gotten. I looked down at a still sleeping Embry and struggled to get out of his hold without waking him. Luckily, I was able to sneak off without disturbing him and walked into the kitchen where Emily was putting away a load of groceries.

"Hey," I said, voice raspy from sleep.

Emily smiled at me brightly. "Hi. Sleep well?"

I nodded, my face heating up. "Yeah, thanks for letting us escape here for a while." I glanced at all the things she had to put away. "Do you want some help?"

"That would be great," Emily told me and I wordlessly began packing things away. "You're welcome to come here any time, you know," she added after a beat of silence.

"Thank you, but I think Sam would have a heart attack if I started hanging around here all the time," I said jokingly. "I wouldn't want to intrude on your territory like that."

"It's not just our territory," Emily insisted as she walked over to the fridge and put food inside. "You're pack, Olivia. You and Embry are a package deal now."

"Oh, we're not...that is, our relationship isn't like that," I stuttered back, suddenly very interested in the pattern of the linoleum on the floor.

She gave me one of those knowing looks that only truly maternal women can do. "Regardless, you're still a duo, Olivia. Whether or not you decide to give into your feelings for him, Embry will always be part of you."

I blushed. "How do you know I have feelings for him? I don't even really know!"

She shrugged and leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing her arms over her chest. "If you're feeling anything close to what I felt with Sam, then you know the pull that drags you back to your imprint every day. It's damn near impossible to fight off that desire to be with them and belong with them in a way you only can with an imprint."

"I can't just choose him on a whim, Emily!" I replied, frustrated. "I have to think about the repercussions for my family. Despite any problems or faults they have, they're the only family I've ever really known. I love them and want what's best for them."

Emily seemed to debate over how to reply before finally saying, "Choosing Embry isn't going to cost you your family. If they really love you, they'll make it work in whatever way they can. The same goes for Embry and the pack. You're one of us and we'll do whatever we need to make sure you and Embry get the happy ending you deserve."

I considered her words for a moment. I'd never considered the possibility that the pack would be willing to help make my relationship with Embry work. Suddenly, it all seemed so much more likely. I could be with Embry, be happy with him in a way I'd never been with anyone else. Yet part of me couldn't let go of my original reservations. Would choosing Embry make my family believe that I was giving them up?

"Enough tough talk," Emily stated suddenly. "I'm going to get started on dinner and I'd love it if you'd help me. It's been nice having another woman around with all these testosterone charge men around me."

We made small talk as Emily got out the makings for what she called her famous chili. She told me various funny stories about the pack members as well as counting off the number of times she'd accidentally seen one of the boys naked due to shifting. I laughed throughout our entire dinner making process. Emily seemed to sense I needed a good laugh to take off some of the weight I'd been carrying around on my shoulders.

The chili was finished just as the sun had gone down. I was about to go wake up Embry when my phone began going off in my pocket. I pulled it out and sighed when I saw that it was Carlisle.

After a moment's hesitation, I answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Olivia," Carlisle's voice was near frantic and I was immediately on edge. "Where are you? Are you in La Push?"

"Yes, I'm with Embry. Is everything OK? What's going on?" I asked, my stomach in knots as I anticipated his answer. Emily watched me with a concerned expression, her face set into a deep frown.

He let out a long sigh and then began to recount the ordeal that my family was currently going through with the nomadic clan they'd run into and their leader's obsession with Bella. Once he was done, I was near tears. "I'm just glad you're safe. I want you to stay in La Push and don't even think of coming home until we let you know it's safe," Carlisle ordered. "Right now, James and his clan has no idea of your existence and we want to keep it that way."

I sniffled and wiped away the few tears that managed to escape. "Promise me everything's going to be OK. That this whole nightmare will be over quickly and easily," I begged in a cracking voice.

"I promise that our family will get through this," he murmured. "I just wish I could make the same guarantee for Bella."

I let out a shaky, gasping breath. "Oh, Daddy," I whispered. I hadn't called Carlisle that in many, many years but the terror I felt left me feeling helpless and small in a way I'd never felt before. "This is awful."

"I know, but we'll get through this. We always do," he told me in the voice I'd dubbed his "doctor voice."

Wiping away my tears and the snot coming out of my nose, I nodded to myself. "OK, be safe. I love you all."

"We love you too. I'll talk to you soon."

He hung up and I was left standing in Emily's kitchen, shoulders shaking. I turned to face Emily, who looked positively terrified. I didn't say anything and was about to rush into the living room to wake Embry when I saw him standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Judging by his worried expression, he'd overheard most of my conversation with Carlisle.

"Embry, you have to warn your pack," I began in a shaking voice. "Some nomadic vampires came through Forks recently. I don't know if they're coming through here, but you should be prepared nonetheless."

"Are you OK?" He asked.

"Yeah, I will be," I replied before turning back to Emily. "Can I stay here for a little while? Carlisle said it's not safe for me at home while those vampires are roaming around."

Emily nodded. "Of course, Olivia, anything you need. I'll get the guest bedroom ready for you."

She left the room quickly and so I was now alone with Embry once again, scared out of my mind for my family. Wordlessly, Embry opened up his arms and I rushed towards him, practically clinging to his torso as I fresh set of tears ran down my face. He patted my back and whispered soothing words into my hair.

I pulled away after a moment and nodded towards the door. "You should probably go meet up with Sam," I said. "I'll be fine here."

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Embry promised and pressed a short kiss to the top of my head before he was running out the door, fully shifted by the time he exited Emily's porch.

On weak, jelly legs, I walked over to the couch I'd been blissfully sleeping on not long ago and flopped down. My eyes were downcast, staring at the carpet as the severity of the situation seemed to truly sink in and I dissolved into tears once more.


	13. Chapter 12

I was still sitting on Emily's couch when the entire pack returned not long after Embry had left. They were all talking hurriedly in Quileute, each with varying degrees of panic and distress. Emily came to take a seat beside me silently, though her presence gave off a comforting, maternal aura that reminded me of Esme. The mere thought of my family had my eyes burning with tears again.

Embry, sensing my distress, came and sat on my other side, tucking me close to him. I refused to allow myself to cry in front of the rest of the pack, but I still reveled in the relaxing effect of his presence.

Sam stood in front of us, his face set in a stern expression. "A nomadic clan of vampires has shown up in Forks and it's a very strong possibility that they will come through here as well. We need to be ready for them."

"I've been waiting for a fight like this for a long time," Paul called out, his tone oozing confidence. "Let's kill some bloodsuckers!"

I flinched at his tone of voice, but nonetheless remained silent.

"We can't go running into this blindly," Sam told him. "If we aren't smart about this, people could get hurt."

He went on to outline the general procedure for the next few days until they were sure the vampires were dead or gone from the area. I didn't bother paying attention, my mind drifting back to my family. Carlisle had mentioned that they planned on moving Bella as far away from Forks as possible while they hunted down James, the tracker. I could only hope that my family would find strength in their numbers.

I tuned back into Sam's long speech just in time. "We'll alternate which one of us stays at the house with Olivia and Emily."

Emily turned and smiled at me. "Well, at least we can keep each other company while under house arrest."

I mustered up a small smile in return, but continued to keep quiet. Sam seemed pained by Emily's usage of the term "house arrest", but refrained from commenting on it.

"Embry, you can be first to stay with them. We'll switch you out with Jared in a couple of hours," Sam finished, effectively dismissing everyone to their positions. The boys headed back out the way they came, but Emily followed to say goodbye to Sam one last time.

"Come back to me," I heard her whisper, voice shaking.

"I always do," came his reply followed by the distinct sound of them kissing. I headed into the kitchen to give them some privacy, Embry trailing right behind me.

"Are you OK?" Embry asked his eyes filled with concern.

I shrugged. "As OK as I can be, I suppose. It's just going to be a long couple of days."

"At least we will be together," Embry offered, one corner of his mouth quirking up in a half-smile.

I sighed, turning away from him. "Yeah, when you're not being threatened by psychotic vampires."

"Olivia," Embry said, gently grabbing my elbow and turning me back around to face him. "Everything's going to be fine. For the pack and for your family."

He pulled me into a tight embrace and I let him, wishing to myself that I could allow myself to believe his promises of safety.

* * *

Embry and I spent most of his shift lounging around in the living room. He'd turned on the TV to serve as a distraction for the both of us from what was going on, but I couldn't focus on it at all. My eyes stared at the bright screen, unseeing, and my mind was a thousand miles away. If Embry noticed my behavior, he didn't say anything about it.

Before I knew it, Embry's shift was over, as signaled by Jared's loud footfalls coming into the house. I unwrapped myself from Embry's hold and watched him get up from the couch and stretch upwards, each tendon and muscle in his arms and back contracting.

He turned back to smile at me boyishly and gestured for me to get up and follow him. I did so, walking him out to Emily's front porch.

"Be careful," I told him a bit sternly.

He grinned and reached out to cup my face in his hands. "I'll be back for my next shift before you know it."

I leaned into his touch, eyes closing habitually. When they opened again, his face was closer to mine than I remember it being before. His dark eyes flicked over my face, as if searching for something, before he leaned in even more, brushing his warm, soft lips over mine.

A voice in my head—one that sounded distinctly like Edward—was telling me that this was a bad idea, but I couldn't find it in me to care. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing even closer to him as his lips moved over mine. It felt like my body was on fire, his hands searing my body as the gripped me tighter.

Ipulled back, gasping a little bit, and stared at him, unsure of what to say. Instead of commenting, Embry pressed one last kiss to my lips—hard and fast—before pulling away from me and running into the woods. I watched him go for a moment, still processing what just happened, and then went back inside.

Jared and Emily were standing in the kitchen together, talking quietly. They both looked up at me and seemed to read in my face what had just happened because Jared smirked at me while Emily just gave me a knowing look.

"Not a word," I ordered, trying to remain stern, though I was obviously failing. I felt hope for the first time since this entire disaster had begun and I wasn't about to let that go.

Jared held his hands up in surrender. "I had no intention of mentioning the love fest that just occurred on Emily's front porch."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course, you would never do that," I quipped sarcastically before turning to Emily. "Do you mind if I go ahead and go to sleep? I'm feeling wiped out."

"Of course," Emily told me and pointed up the stairs. "Guest room is up there, first door on your right. There should be some pajamas laid out on the bed that you can borrow."

"Thank you," I murmured and practically ran upstairs. Once I was in the bedroom alone, I allowed myself to release the grin I'd been fighting back since Embry and I kissed. _Kissed_. I could hardly believe it and now all I wanted to do was see him.

But as I got ready for bed, reality slowly began to set back in and I knew that we would have to talk about what that kiss would mean for my future with Embry.

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**A/N: Hello everyone! I'm trying out a new place to put my author's notes so I can write a little about the things that've happened in the chapter you just read.**

**THEY KISSED! I know some of you have been waiting for this to happen for a long time and I hope you like the way it happened. I wanted it to be more of a spur of the moment thing than necessarily this drawn out, dramatic moment. Also, I apologize for this chapter being so brief, but we're gearing up for some interesting things once Twilight concludes!**

**Leave a review letting me know what you thought about the kiss as well as the rest of the chapter! What do you think this kiss means for Embry and Olivia's relationship? How will her time in La Push affect the pack and her relationship with them? I'd love to hear your thoughts!**


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: My darlings! It's been so long!**

**This update has been long overdue and I wish I had a better reason for the lack of interaction over the past few months, but I don't. I'm just so grateful that you guys have been faithfully reviewing and that new people have been paying attention to the story, even when I'm MIA and being a total idiot about it.**

**Just know that I appreciate your support so very much and seeing all the kinds words you've left in a review or even the simplest thing of a favorite/follow notification really kept me going. You guys are the best!**

**Now, on to the much awaited chapter.**

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The next 24 hours were excruciatingly painful. Due to the threat of James and his clan, Emily and I were forced to remain on house arrest while the boys ran patrols. Someone was always stationed with us, but it usually meant that they would sleep at the house for a couple hours before going back out onto patrol with the others. Because Embry had been the first one at the house, he didn't come back at all. He was constantly on patrol, helping run borders with the rest of the guys.

Emily and I attempted a few things to entertain ourselves (watching TV, cooking, reading, etc.) but neither of us were able to fight off the overwhelming sense of fear. Fear that one of the vampires would come here, fear that one of the guys wouldn't come back, or (in my case) fear that James would harm my family before I had the chance to reconcile with them.

I also spent the majority of that day agonizing over my relationship with Embry. I'd never dated anyone, so I wasn't exactly sure how to proceed from here. Not to mention the shit storm that would result when we'd have to tell my family. It just seemed way too dramatic for one simple kiss.

The morning of day two of house arrest, I was watching cartoons with Jared when Embry walked through the door, looking haggard and worn down. I jumped up from my place on the couch and practically threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his stomach as he enveloped me in his warm embrace.

"I missed you," I muttered into his shoulder, feeling a little teary eyed.

"I missed you too," he replied back, giving me one last squeeze before we broke apart. He paused, as though he were hesitating, before he suddenly leaned down and once again pressed his lips to mine.

I smiled into the brief kiss, finding his insecurity extremely endearing. "I'll let you go upstairs and get cleaned up," I told him, feeling my face heat up with a blush.

He placed a peck on my forehead before running upstairs, taking the steps two at a time.

I went back to my seat next to Jared, who was eyeing me warily. "What?" I demanded.

He raised his hands up in surrender. "Nothing, hot head, I was just...thinking."

I raised an eyebrow. "And that thinking required glaring two holes into the side of my head?"

"Look, can I ask you a question?" Jared said, turning so he was facing me completely.

Raising up the remote to mute the television, I went to face him, giving Jared my completely undivided attention. "Shoot."

"What is it like? Being imprinted, I mean."

I shrugged, unsure of how to respond. "It's hard to explain. It sounds cheesy to say this, but it feels like you've finally found that last missing piece in your life. Not that you can't function and be a complete human being without it, but once you find that person, they give you a sense of stability that you'll never have without them. Embry keeps me sane."

Jared made a frustrated sound. "But he also makes you crazy, right? Always worrying if he's alright, wondering constantly when you're going to see him again...that would drive me nuts!" He exclaimed, clearly frustrated by my response.

"Well, yes, but it's not like I'm so dependent on him that I lose my mind when he's gone. If Embry's gone, I miss him but I'm not going to go batshit over it and throw a tantrum until he returns," I responded, carefully choosing each word that came out of my mouth. "We're a team, whether we're together or apart."

Jared huffed out an indignant sigh. "You have fun with that, but I'm glad I don't have some imprint weighing me down."

I patted his leg. "You say that now, but then you're going to be so glad when you do find your imprint."

"If my imprint and I are as dramatic as you and Embry, I'm so fucking screwed," Jared muttered more to himself than to me.

I laughed loudly, shaking my head. "No arguments here. We still haven't even told my family that we're dating yet," I said.

Jared whistled lowly. "I'll make sure to pray for Embry's well-being, then," Jared joked before he turned back to the television. "Now turn up the volume, I want to finish Scooby-Doo before I go back out on patrol."

I rolled my eyes, but obeyed nonetheless.

Embry joined us on the couch once he'd gotten cleaned up and grabbed some leftovers out of the fridge. He ate a concerning amount of food (I gave up on keeping track around his third trip back into the kitchen), but just his presence was enough to keep me at ease. With him there, I was able to push away any and all thoughts of danger or predatory nomads lurking in the woods. It was just me and my imprint hanging out, enjoying one another's company.

That day passed by a lot more quickly with Embry there to entertain and distract me from the horrors of the past two days. Emily, unfortunately, was not so easy to console. Sam hadn't come home at all, staying present for every single shift. He claimed it was because they weren't enough of them for him to take off for a couple hours, but I wasn't buying it and neither was Emily.

"I'm sure he's fine," I tried to assure her later that evening as we both watched the sun go down, painting the sky an orange-pink hue. "He's Sam, he's practically invincible."

Emily kept her eyes downcast, tracing a thin finger over the rim of her mug of tea. "I know that, but I can't help worrying. It's physically impossible for me to stop."

I nodded. "I know. I'm the same way with Embry."

She finally looked at me and attempted a small smile. "Well, us wolf girls have got to stick together." She reached out and took my hand in one of hers, giving it a tight squeeze.

I returned the gesture and smiled. "I'll leave you alone with our resident bear," I told her as I pulled away, gesturing to an unconscious Paul, who was snoring louder than a freight train.

I made my way upstairs to what had become "my room" for the duration of my house arrest. Almost as soon as I'd shut the bedroom door behind me, my cell phone began to ring. With shaking hands, I frantically pulled the phone out of my pocket and answered it.

"Hello?" I said.

"Olivia?" Rosalie's voice greeted me and my entire body sagged with relief.

"Oh, thank God!" I sighed out, running a hand through my hair. "I've had a million disaster scenarios going through my head for the past two days. Is everyone alright?"

"Everyone's alive, but Bella got beat up pretty bad," Rosalie told me, trying to sound empathetic to Bella's pain, though she'd made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with the human girl.

I raised an eyebrow. "How badly? What happened?"

Rosalie rattled off the story in a very detached, almost bored manner, but I was hanging on her every word. This psychotic tracker, James, had become so obsessed with Bella and besting Edward that he'd tracked her all the way to Phoenix just to torture and eventually kill her. He bit her, but Edward managed to suck out the venom and keep his girlfriend alive just long enough to get to the local hospital.

"I'm surprised Edward managed to have that much restraint and control with Bella's blood," I commented once the story was over, laying back on the bed with my eyes staring off into space.

Rosalie let out a derisive sigh. "Yes, well, he almost didn't. He almost drained her dry."

"But he didn't and that's a major improvement," I pushed, wanting her to acknowledge this as a milestone for one of the few Cullens to ever fall off the bandwagon. "No one but Carlisle has ever managed to do this before."

"Edward certainly doesn't think of this as a triumphant moment, Olivia," Rosalie chastised. "He almost killed this girl and all because we brought her into a world she never should've been a part of."

I couldn't help but feel hurt at her words. If Bella didn't belong, what did that mean for me? I was a human, just like her. I was defenseless against vampires, just like her. What made me any different or any less troublesome than Bella?

_Nothing_, a dark voice whispered in the back of my mind. _They just haven't had the guts to say as much before now._

"Alright, just call me when you get home and I can leave the rez. I miss my bed," I complained, changing the subject to a far less concerning one.

"Will do, Olivia," Rosalie said. "But don't think all this drama from Bella and Edward gets you out of the long talk we will be having as a family about you and that _dog_ you decided to adopt."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "You couldn't pretend to be a little less hostile? Even when it's just me and you?"

"Nope," she chirped right before hanging up on me, leaving behind only the low buzz of a dial tone.


End file.
